Bones: The Life of Doctor Temperance Brennan
by perscribo
Summary: “Go away Booth. You disgust me." "Just, just let me explain.” My AU story of BB, speed bumps and babies along the way. Chapter 23 now up!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bones. Fox does.

_I've been toying with this idea in my head for ages. It's crazy juggling two stories at one time so bear with me if at times I take long to add chapters. Any similarities between what I write and stories from other writers are purely coincidental. _

_This is my version of an AU BB story, so at times they're gonna be a little OOC. Plus I might change some facts around a little so it fits into the story I have in my head. Bear with me there, this is afterall AU. What would have happened if BB lived happily ever after?_

Doctor Temperance Brennan sat in her study, staring at her laptop. She was a world renowned forensic anthropologist and best-selling author of numerous novels. Her publisher had been bugging her to write her own biography for a couple of years now, but she never got down to it. Now with her youngest son having left for college, she found that she had some time on her hands. Perhaps this would be a good time to write.

She couldn't figure out why anyone would be interested in reading about her life. There wasn't much to it. Sure she had a slightly different childhood than most girls. Her parents were criminals in the eyes of the law; she had been abandoned at the age of fifteen and had been in and out of foster homes. She had, still does have a genius IQ and multiple degrees under her belt. She spent most of her adult life putting cold-blooded killers away and writing novels.

She was well-off, comfortably so but that didn't stop her from working, neither did it make her complacent. She didn't work for the money, but because she loved her job. She loved working with her team and most of all she loved working with her partner. Her partner in more ways than one.

Brennan's heart warmed at the thought of this one man, this one man who had single-handedly made her life better. If anything she would write, so that people would know her story their story. So at the ripe old age of fifty-five Doctor Temperance Brennan decided to heed her publisher's advice and write her life story. Who knew? Perhaps the book would fly off the shelves in a similar fashion that her novels did. She wondered where she should begin. She smiled when the thought popped up in her head. She knew where to start. She would start on the day she realized that for some strange reason she was attracted to who was possibly the most pompous, arrogant, pig-headed alpha-male she had ever come across, who also unfortunately had chiseled good-looks, a charm smile that could melt anyone, and a well-toned muscular body to die-for.

Her hands began to fly across the keyboard, the room became filled with the clackity-clack of her fingers striking the keys.

Her words flowed easily, this was the story of her life thus far.....

_I know, I know it's short, but send in your reviews, I'll be writing more so wait and see. TBC._


	2. Chapter 2: First Date

_Here's chapter two. Remember this is AU so things aren't going to happen in sequence or like on the show. _

Their "first date". She remembered it like it was yesterday. She didn't know if she could call it a date but it was their first meal together outside the confines of work. She remembered thinking there would never be a second time, but how wrong she could have been. Brennan smiled as she typed out the events of that night.

_Chapter 1 – "First Date" _

"Hey Bones."

Booth breezed into the office of Doctor Temperance Brennan, his partner of all but one month. She was busy at work on her computer.

"Don't call me Bones."

"Why not? You work with bones, it's an appropriate nickname."

"I don't like nicknames." Brennan replied annoyed. Did this man have no end to his annoying habits?

"I think it suits you way better than Doctor Brennan."

"What do you want Booth?"

"You."

"We have a case?"

"No."

"Then what do you want me for?"

A slow smile spread across Special Agent Seeley Booth's face. What did he want her for? He could think of a million inappropriate answers to that. But he settled for, "I want to take you to dinner."

"Why?"

"Cos Bones…"

"Don't call me Bones."

"Cos," Booth continued ignoring her glare of death. "I'd like to celebrate and I'd like to thank you."

"Why?"

Booth rolled his eyes. She was beginning to sound like Parker. No, he wasn't going to tell her he had a son just yet. Not that he was ashamed but Booth was a very private man, and he was careful about what he divulged to others about himself. In time he would tell her.

"Cos you're doing wonders to my career, cos we make a good team, cos I'm grateful for you agreeing to work with the FBI."

"We solved four cases so far. With that you conclude we make a good team?"

"We only had four cases so far, it's a 100% close rate Bones. No partnership in the FBI has this kind of close record."

"I'm good at what I do."

Booth realized this woman was anything but modest. But then again, it wasn't like he was the humblest of people either.

"So am I. So Bones, whaddya say? Feel like Thai food?"

Brennan had to admit, she liked Thai cuisine. But the man asking her out annoyed her to no end when they worked together. He flashed her a smile and her heart fluttered. Why did he have to be so handsome?

"Come on, I won't bite." Booth smirked.

What could it hurt? It had been awhile, awhile since Michael.

Brennan sighed. "Ok, let me finish up."

Booth clapped his hands together. "Great."

An hour later Brennan was sitting opposite Booth in a Thai restaurant. It became apparent that Booth frequented this place often. He was on a first name basis with some of the waitresses there. She remembered being warned by well-meaning colleagues that Agent Booth had quite the reputation for being a ladies' man.

Their meal had been relaxing thus far; they talked about themselves getting to know each other, nothing about work or their current case.

"So how am I doing so far"

"Huh?" Brennan stared blankly at Booth. "I don't know what that means."

"It means Bones, are you enjoying your dinner date with me so far?"

"If you'd stop calling me Bones I'd enjoy myself more. And who said this was a date?"

Booth held up his hands palms facing Brennan. "Whoa sorry. I assumed… nevermind."

"What? It's just a meal, like you said, to thank me."

"Right."

Booth began to feel a tad uncomfortable. He didn't understand why this woman had this effect on him. He was usually suave, the master of flirting, it was usually his female company that felt uncomfortable. So far Bones was holding her own.

"So Bones." Booth smiled nervously. "I gota hand it to you. I mean, despite the circumstances you grew up with, you turned out so well. I mean you have more degrees than my whole department put together. Growing up in foster care that couldn't have been easy."

"How did you know?" Brennan's expression could freeze hell.

"I read your file."

"You what?"

"I just, I wanted to get to know you better ok?"

"So you looked into the personal details of my life."

"Yeah. FBI remember?"

"You had no right."

"Hey I'm sorry ok Bones. I didn't know you were so secretive about these things. If it helps I won't tell a soul."

"You arrogant pompous son of a – "

"Whoa Bones, no calling my mother names ok?!"

Their conversation had turned into a shouting match. Brennan grabbed her purse and ran out of the restaurant. Booth took off after her.

"Bones! Temperance, hey wait!"

Booth grabbed Brennan's wrist.

Brennan spun round to stare up at him. He had never had a woman stand toe-to-toe with him like that before, and if he was honest with himself Booth found it quite a turn on.

"Let's get this clear, we work together, nothing more. Don't go looking into my files again."

"Hey chill ok Bones? I said I was sorry."

Brennan yanked her hand from his grip. He should've known what was coming. He read she was adept in several forms of martial arts but he never expected to find himself lying on the cold pavement, his partner glaring down at him. She has somehow kicked his feet from under him.

He was literally floored. From day one he had been smitten. Doctor Brennan was beautiful. It had crossed his mind more than once that he would like to know what it would be like to kiss her. But they were incompatible, She was a genius and he, well he was just an ex-Army sniper turned FBI agent. He'd never match her intellect. But he had vowed to give it a try. His partner was beauty and raw sexuality and Booth liked it.

Booth groaned as he got off the ground, the back of his head hurting.

"What the hell Bones?"

"We work together, nothing more." With that Brennan stalked away to her car.

Booth rubbed the back of his head. _Great job Seeley!_ He couldn't believe he had been so stupid. He had probably blown whatever chance he had with his beautiful partner.

_How'd you guys like the story do far? Hit the review button and let me know! _


	3. Chapter 3: Second Chance

_Thanks to all who reviewed. I'm trying to finish up my other story so this one's gonna take a little longer to update. __Sorry for the long wait. To Ger who wanted to know what Booth at sixty is like, here's a glimpse. Here comes a really long chapter!_

Satisfied with her account of her disastrous first date with Booth, Brennan smiled to herself once again remembering how she had expertly kicked Booth's legs from under him and leaving him gasping on the pavement. As if he were some genie in a lamp and thinking about him would make him magically appear, there was a knock on the door. The study also served as Brennan's office where she occasionally worked from home, and Booth was always careful to knock. There were no secrets between them but he respected her privacy. At sixty Seeley Booth was still handsome, no argument there. The signs of aging were just beginning to catch up with him, his otherwise brown hair was beginning to grey at the sides. Brennan often teased that he looked sexier that way. Booth worked hard to stay in shape mainly because he was still doing fieldwork.

Brennan closed the lid of her laptop as her husband quickly closed the distance between them in two strides. He bent down to kiss her on the lips and flashed her a wide grin.

"Keeping secrets from me Bones?"

"Just a book I'm working on. You'll get to read it when it's done, like every one else."

"I wish you'd give up that rule of yours. I'm your husband, not some fan who has to wait like everybody else does for your next novel."

"Would some fan get to make love to me last night?"

Booth chuckled. "Probably not."

Booth still had this annoyingly large grin on his face. "Guess what?"

"What?" Brennan was nervous. Usually when Booth asked her something like that with the expression on his face it was either something amazingly good or something so crazy she'd disagree and they'd bicker about it for days.

"Parker called."

"Is he ok?"

"More than ok." Booth had a gleam in his eyes. "We're gonna be grandparents Bones!"

"Jan is pregnant?"

"Yeah. They just found out. Baby's due next summer."

"I didn't think…"

"What so soon after they got married?"

"As I recall we had Adam soon after we got married, in fact I do believe he was conceived on our honeymoon." Brennan scrunched up her face, thinking. It was a look Booth adored.

"I know Bones. I was there."

"I mean, I thought Parker and Jan said they wanted to wait till Jan was more settled in her job."

"I really don't want to know what our son does with his wife Bones. All I know is that we're gonna be grandparents!"

"I just hope they're prepared, being parents is a big responsibility."

"And we'll be more than happy to help."

Brennan smiled. "Yes we would." She got up from her seat and Booth took her into his arms for a tight embrace.

"Makes me feel old though." Booth said into her hair.

Brennan laughed. "You are getting old."

One thing Booth loved about his wife was her brutal honesty. He placed both hands on her shoulders turned her round and sat her back in her chair.

"I'm gonna let you get back to your book there Bones."

"And what about you?"

"Capitals game on tv."

Booth leans down to kiss his wife deeply on the lips. After almost thirty years of marriage kissing her still made him breathless.

"Come get me before you go to bed ok Bones? We can celebrate being grandparents."

Brennan laughed. "I will Booth."

She waited for Booth to leave, shutting the door behind him. She thought of Parker being a Dad, and she knew he would be a great father like Booth is. It seemed liked he grew up so fast. To be honest, she had to admit that were it not for Parker, she would have never married his father.

She opened the lid of her laptop and began to type out her first meeting with her stepson.

_Chapter 2 – "Second Chance"_

The days following their date gone bad Booth thought he might have to walk on eggshells around his partner. He soon found out that she was very good at compartmentalizing and didn't seem affected much by the events of their failed dinner date. She made it clear they were partners working together, nothing more. It took a couple more cases before they settled into a comfortable vibe; bickering. Despite their constant differences they worked very well together.

Booth still wanted to get to know her on a deeper level. She was very attractive and she had wiped out whatever preconceived notions about scientists he had. She was hot, not like the geek he had thought she would be.

It was one afternoon when Booth decided he had given her enough time to get over their first dinner together. They were driving to interrogate a suspect. Booth pulled up outside what appeared to be a Chinese restaurant.

"This isn't the address we're supposed to be at."

"I know Bones. We're just stopping to get lunch."

Booth exited the car, followed by Brennan rather grudgingly. As they entered the establishment, Brennan saw a little boy, not more than four years old, head full of blonde curls running towards them.

"Daddy!"

Brennan turned, expecting to see they boy's father behind them. To her surprise, the boy ran into Booth's open arms. Booth picked the little boy up and held him tightly to him.

"Hey buddy, I missed you too."

Booth nodded to who Brennan presumed to be the owner of the restaurant. "We need something to eat."

Booth turned and took the nearest table, sitting the little boy on his lap.

Brennan took the seat opposite Booth.

"This is Doctor Brennan, Daddy's friend. She's gonna be having lunch with us ok?"

The boy nodded his head enthusiastically.

"My name's Parker. What's yours?"

"Temperance." Brennan replied. She wasn't sure how to react. In her quest for more knowledge and to better herself, she never had the need to interact with any children. Going through the foster system made Brennan realize that children could be cruel, and she had her reservations about them.

"That's kinda a long name isn't it Parker?"

They boy nodded.

"I call her Bones."

"Bones? Why?"

"Cos she's really good with them. She can look at them and tell you everything you wanted to know about the person the bones belonged to."

"Cool. Can I come see you work Bones?"

Brennan was a little irked that Booth's son had taken to the nickname his father had given her.

"Yes. I suppose."

"Cool!"

Food arrived and Brennan ate a little as she watched father and son. She could easily tell that Booth loved his son very much and the boy adored his father.

It wasn't long before the same man appeared at our table.

"Time to go."

Brennan watched Booth's expression grow grim.

"Come on Parker, we gotta go wash up, then get you back to your Mom."

Father and son returned a short while later. Booth helped his son into his coat.

"Say bye to Bones."

"Bye Bones. Will I see you again?"

"Your father and I work together. I should think an opportunity would arise when we can meet again."

"And I'll see your bones?"

"No you can't see my bones, not unless you have x-ray – "

"Sure you can little man."

Booth picked Parker up into his arms and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Parker. I'll see you next week."

Brennan watched as Booth hand the boy to the other man then sit back down with her.

"You planned this."

"Yes I did."

"Are you married?"

Booth choked on the coffee he was drinking.

"No Bones. Never have been."

"Then how did you get Parker?"

Booth's eyes twinkled. He laughed. "Parker's mom and me… we…. you know…"

"Had sex?"

Booth choked a laugh as he nodded.

"Of course you guys did. I didn't mean that." Was he annoying him on purpose?

"Before I joined the FBI, I was a sniper for the Army Rangers. When I got back, I got together with Rebecca, Parker's mom. I got her pregnant. I asked her to marry me. She said no. Things went south from there."

"She moved south?"

"No Bones." When they started working together, Booth thought that Brennan was playing with him, being so culturally inept or bring so literal all the time. However he found out that was really how she was and he found it irresistibly cute.

"I mean things got bad between Rebecca and me. She didn't want to marry me, maybe she thought I wouldn't make a good husband. I don't know. Anyway she had Parker. We're still friends but sometimes we get on each others' nerves, not in a good way like us. We never married, she doesn't have to let me see Parker. She let me name him, lets me see him on weekends. I'm really grateful for that. Sid, he's our middleman, he helps take Parker to and from Rebecca and me."

"So you're using our work time to see more of Parker?"

"No Bones. Rebecca wants to take him to her parents this weekend, so this hour is the only hour this week I have with my son."

"Which proves my point."

"Point is I wanted you to meet Parker."

"Why?"

"Cos Bones, you're my partner, and I trust you. Look I don't tell many people about Parker. It's not because I had him out of wedlock, it's just that my, our job gets dangerous sometimes, and I don't want Parker to get hurt."

"I can understand that."

"Bones that's not the only reason why I let you meet Parker. I'm sorry I looked in your personal file alright? You're my partner but I have no right. I just thought if I shared something really personal to me, maybe we'd be even."

"Even?"

"Start over. Pretend I didn't look in your file."

"Why do we need to start over?"

"Cos Bones, you're like no other woman I've met before. I'd be lying if I told you I'm not attracted to you. I know we work together, and that may complicate things, but I know we can work things out. All I'm asking is that you give me a second chance."

"Are you asking me out?"

"Yes Bones I am."

"I'll think about it." Brennan offered him a smile. Booth let out a breath. He was nervous and only Bones had this effect on him.

"Good enough for now." Booth smiled back. He stood to leave. "Let's get back to work then."

_Phew__! That is the longest single chapter I've written so far. Hope you all liked it!_


	4. Chapter 4 : Breaking the Laws of Physics

_So here's my version of Booth's "making love speech" and what ensues. Enjoy! _

Brennan woke up the next morning to find a pot of freshly brewed coffee waiting for her in the kitchen. She smiled at Booth's thoughtfulness. She had two full-fledged forensic anthropologists, Clark and Wendell working at the Jeffersonian now, so she only went in some days of the week. She knew that they would call if they needed a consult. For now her cell remained silent and she was prepared to spend the rest of the day at home, working on her latest book and catching up on her forensic journals.

She poured herself a cup of coffee then began to read the newspapers while sipping her coffee from the island in their kitchen. She was happy, sated. She was still wet from last night. Thinking about is made her core ache for him again. Only Booth could make her feel this way. He had made her come, twice last night. No mean feat given their current ages.

She remembered their first time.

_Chapter 3 – Breaking The Laws of Physics_

True to his word, Booth brought Parker by to the Jeffersonian two weeks after Brennan had initially met the boy. He was intelligent and inquisitive. He especially liked when she took him to look at dinosaur bones. The day had gone so well that Brennan concluded that the apple couldn't fall that far from the tree, although in this instance, the comparison was the other way round. She concluded that given that Parker was such a pleasant little boy, his father couldn't be that bad. A second chance was awarded Booth, then a third and fourth. By that time they had been working well together still with their incredible close rate for a couple of months. The fifth time they arranged a date, Booth offered to cook for her.

She turned up at his apartment that night in a casual blue dress that clung nicely to her curves. It suggested, rather than screamed sexy underneath.

"Wow! Bones. You look amazing." Were the first words that spilled out of Booth's mouth when he answered the door.

"Thank you." Booth was dressed in a pair of jeans and a tight-fitting T-shirt that showed off his well-muscled body. "You look very nice too."

Booth leaned towards her and they shared a passionate kiss. He let her into his modest apartment, which Brennan noted was smaller and messier than her own. She could see he had went to great lengths to prepare for tonight. There were candles, the soft music, everything set or a night of romance.

He had cooked pasta and after Brennan complemented him on his culinary skills, had confessed that it was the only dish he knew how to cook well. That, and a mean grilled cheese sandwich. Brennan promised she would return the favor and cook for him the next time they decided on a date.

Booth appeared more than thrilled at the prospect. After dinner they adjourned to Booth's small couch. Brennan held out her glass as Booth poured her some wine.

"So how am I doing so far?" Booth asked leaning back into his couch.

"I take it you're asking the same question you did as when we first went out for dinner?"

"Yeah Bones. How am I doing, you know, as your boyfriend?"

"You're not my boyfriend."

"I'm not?"

"We're just dating."

"Ohhh- kay." Booth wasn't sure what to make of her statement. They clearly enjoyed each other's company in and out of the context of work, so her denial took him by surprise.

"So let me get this straight. I'm not your boyfriend. We're just dating…"

"Yes."

"And to what end?"

"Two people who get along and are mutually attracted to each other like we are, we get together to keep each other company, help each other unwind, and satisfy each other's biological urges."

"Sounds like two people in a relationship to me. Are we in a relationship?"

"Yes I would assume so."

"I'm just not your boyfriend."

Brennan looked exasperated. "We haven't even had sex yet. How would we know if we're sexually compatible?"

"Look Bones, I don't know what kind of relationships or boyfriends you had in the past but being in a relationship is more than just… you know…."

"Sex?"

"Yeah that."

"I don't understand why you have such difficulty saying the word 'sex' when you're with me."

Booth squirmed in his seat. "That's not the point."

"Come on Booth. Don't tell me you're not attracted to me in a sexual way?"

Booth swallowed. If this were any other woman he had been with he would have taken that as a come on, but with his partner he felt nervous as hell. Like a teenage boy thinking of the prospect of making out for the first time with the girl he had a crush on.

"I am Bones, I'm not just any kind of guy."

"That is not what I heard."

Brennan has placed her wine glass on the coffee table and had moved herself closer to Booth. They had shared kisses before after their dates, and almost made out in his SUV the other night. Now the possibility of making love to this woman made Booth feel very nervous indeed.

Brennan's thigh was pressed against Booth's and the heat she was emitting felt unbearable. She ran a hand up his thigh. Booth could feel his arousal grow.

"Uhh Bones? What are you doing?" Booth's voice squeaked in a pitch that was higher than usual.

"We can stop the pretense Booth. We both know why you invited me over tonight."

"We do?"

"Yes. You want to have sex with me. To be honest, I want to have sex with you too."

"Whoa hold up there Bones." Booth said as she leaned in to kiss him. Booth practically jumped out of his seat.

"Why are you pretending like you don't want it?" Brennan asked an incredulous look on her face. She pointed to the growing bulge in his jeans.

"I do want it Bones. Not sex, but to make love to you."

"I don't see the difference." Brennan said as she rose to stand facing him.

"Look, if you were any other woman, looking like you are, I'd take you right here, right now up against my wall."

Brennan found it an incredible turn on.

"So why aren't you?"

"Cos Bones, you're… you're my partner ok? And I treasure our friendship and what we have. I don't want to screw it up."

Brennan laughed at his subconscious pun.

"I don't see how having sex would. We obviously want each other." Brennan placed her hands firmly on his shoulder and kissed him, hard. Booth weakly allowed her to march him backwards till his back hit the wall.

She began to run a hand up his chest, scratching his nipples eliciting a soft moan from his lips into her mouth. She pressed her body flush against him. There was no way to hide his erection now.

"Seeley Booth, you do want me."

"Yes," He gasped, "But not just for sex."

"Uh-huh." Brennan's lips was assaulting his again, her tongue plunged into his mouth, claiming his tongue for her own.

Booth groaned when she moved a hand to cup him through his now impossibly tight jeans. His mind felt weak and his legs like jelly. He allowed her to pull his shirt over his head.

"Nice." Brennan said as she paused to admire his physique. "Pectorals." Brennan moved her lips to kiss his chest. "Abdominals." She bent to kiss his taught stomach.

Booth moaned, anticipating her hands on him. She had undid his belt buckle and unzipped his jeans letting them pool at his legs on the floor. One hand cupped him through his boxers, rubbing the soft fabric against his shaft.

"Damn it Bones." Booth growled grabbing the hand that was on him. "When two people care about each other, when they're crazy about one another like I am about you, when all they can think about is the other person, that's love. I don't know when or where or how, but I think I've fallen in love with you."

Brennan laughed. "Love is just chemicals in your head telling you how to feel."

"No Bones you're wrong. Love is here." He placed the hand that he was gripping against his heart. Brennan could feel the fast thumping under his chest.

"When two people are in love, they don't just have sex. They make love. They become one."

"That is impossible. It would mean that you would have to break the laws of physics."

"Let me show you. Let me make love to you Bones." Booth's breath was hot against Brennan's.

Brennan couldn't understand. It seemed she was right in thinking that Booth wanted to have sex with her but why was he going about it in such a convoluted way? Her other lovers would have had her naked and be pumping into her by now. Why didn't he come right out and say it?

Brennan pulled her dress over her head, letting it drop to the floor. Booth thought he might pass out right there. She was everything he had imagined her to be and more. Her milky soft skin, her ample breasts almost spilling out of her lacy bra, her legs that went on for miles. And that thong. Was she trying to kill him?

"What are you waiting for?"

Something in Booth snapped. He kicked off his jeans and crushed his lips against hers. He guided her with a force deceptively weak, a force waiting to be unleashed, to his bedroom. He lowered her gently down on his bed, slowly removing those pesky undergarments from her body, taking the time to admire and slowly map out every inch of her body with his eyes, his lips, his tongue and fingers. Brennan squirmed and writhed under his touch, every contact he made with her skin electrifying. He wasn't lying. He was good. Was this what he was alluding to with all that talk about making love? Just an indirect way of suggesting how good he was in bed?

Brennan moved a hand to tug at his boxers. Booth laughed softly. He allowed her to remove his boxers and watched as she admired his impressive manhood. She wiggled under him, kissing a trail from his chest to abdomen. Before her mouth could claim her prize he jerked back.

Brennan wore a confused look on her face. This would be a first.

"No Bones. It's not that I don't want you to…. but not tonight."

He scooped her up in his strong arms shifting her back up so that they were again face to face. He lowered his head to kiss her. Booth slowly kissed her neck, making her moan, then moved to take one erect nipple in his mouth. He heard her gasp, then arch up against him. One hand moved to brush her opening, making her moan at his touch. His hands deftly parted her folds. He brushed her clit with her thumb.

"Yes… right there Seeley."

It was the first time she used his first name. Booth felt dizzy with pleasure. Hearing his name from her lips made him crazy and he longed to be inside her. He delved two fingers into her soaking hot core. She moaned appreciatively as he timed the thrusts of his fingers with the sucking at her nipple.

"I'm close." Brennan gasped, running a hand through his hair.

"Come for me Bones." Booth breathed into her ear, releasing her nipple from his mouth. He increased the pace of his fingers as he moved to take her other nipple in his mouth, his thumb still massaging her clit.

"Booth!" She yelled as he felt her body stiffen. He felt the hot walls close in rhythmically on his fingers. His cocked ached with jealousy but he held her to him as she clenched her fist in his hair, breathing heavily into his shoulder.

"You are….. good." She panted, her breath on his face.

"Thank you Bones." Booth laughed. He stopped when he felt her hand close on his cock, her thumb expertly circling then adding exquisite pressure on his sensitive tip. He felt his own breathing become labored.

"I need to feel you inside me now." The urgency in her voice could have made him come right there. He pushed himself up on his hands.

"Where are you going?"

"Condomn Bones. Not unless you wanna get pregnant after our first time."

"I'm on the pill."

"But – "

"We're both obviously not virgins, but it's ok. I trust you."

Booth smiled. "Thanks Bones. Just so you know, you have nothing to worry about." He settled himself between her legs, his tip poised at her entrance, ready for the ride of his life.

"I'm gonna make love to you Bones."

"Break the laws of physics?" She teased.

Booth didn't reply, simply moved to sheath himself inside her. They both gasped. It felt like it might have had been their first time. Neither moved for a couple of minutes. Booth knew it would feel right, just like home, but he didn't know it would feel this right. Brennan had guessed they would be sexually compatible, but she hadn't guessed it would feel so deliciously good. They looked into each others eyes, brown into blue. Then Booth began to move.

He set a slow pace, wanting her to feel pleasure hoping he could hold out. He needn't have worried.

"Faster Seeley." She panted as he pumped into her.

He increased the pace, her hips bucking up to meet his.

"Oh fuck Bones, I don't think I can hold out much longer…. I'm…. gonna come." Booth groaned, his face contorted in pleasure.

"Coming too." Brennan managed as she felt the beginnings of her orgasm. Her finger dug into his back as she screamed, "Ohhh Seeley!"

Booth felt her tighten around him, and as he thrust one final time, driving himself over the edge. He came shouting "Ahhhh…. Temperance!" as he emptied himself into her.

As they came down from their high Booth felt his heart swell as he rolled himself off her.

"That…." He panted…. "That… I don't think I've come so hard before."

"You're amazing. That…" she stopped to breathe. "was amazing."

"Like we fit."

"Fit perfectly," she agreed.

"Like nobody else should fit like I do inside you."

Brennan fell silent.

"That Bones, was making love."

Booth pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. He was in love, no doubt about that. She was everything and more he dreamed she would be. Soon their exertions lulled Booth into a deep sleep. The same could not be said of his partner.

Brennan lay awake in his arms. Love? The concept was new to her. She never believed in it and never wanted to. But just now, she thought she felt something, something new and foreign. Something dangerous and exciting. Something tugging at her heart, something she never felt before. Something she probably had searched for but never found until possibly now. The alarms were ringing in her head. The voice in her head screamed g_et out! Get out, leave, before you get hurt! _

_As always reviews are welcome. Reviews always want me to write more and add more chapters! _


	5. Chapter 5: Running

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own Bones. If I did I wouldn't move the show round so much and I certainly wouldn't have so many breaks between episodes.

_Sorry for the long absence. I've been busy with work, kids, life in general and I've been tired. But thanks for waiting. And there was a problem with FFnet, I couldn't log in for days. But anyways back to the story._

Brennan finished her coffee and grabbed an apple, planning to munch on it while she worked in her study. She knew she would hear no end of it if Booth found out she only had coffee for breakfast. She opened her laptop cover, waiting for it to start up. Her cellphone buzzed and she wondered if she did have a case that needed consulting. She relaxed when she recognized the caller ID.

"Hi Parker."

"Hey Bones."

"Everything ok?"

"Yup. Dad was so excited last night when I told him, I thought I'd call to check that neither one of you had a heart attack."

"We're both fine. Your father's gone for his morning run."

"Right" Parker replied sounding a lot like Booth over the phone.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"But?"

"Man, you're getting good at this, Dad's really rubbed off a lot on you."

Brennan laughed. Parker was right. Over the years her ability to read people, especially people she cared about improved significantly.

"I'm nervous." Parker confided.

"It's perfectly natural to feel this way. I remember how nervous I was when I had Adam."

"What if I let my kid down? What if I'm not a good father?"

"You won't."

"You don't know that."

"Of course I do." Brennan fought the urge to add the line 'Because I'm your mother'. It wasn't that Parker didn't regard her as such but she knew he was way too old to buy that. And he was now very much a man of science himself.

"You'll make a great father Parker. Just like your Dad. You've learnt so much from him, and genetically speaking, there's a good chance that he passed some of his natural paternal abilities to you."

"I guess. Thanks Bones, Coming from you, it means a lot."

"You're welcome."

"I gota go. I've got surgical rounds in five minutes."

"I'll tell your father you called."

Parker hung up and she started to work on her next chapter.

_Chapter 4 – Running_

Booth woke up the next morning, finding himself alone in his bed. He began to worry that he did something wrong the night before. He had to find out what happened. Two hours later he swiped his card and jogged up the platform where Brennan was hunched over their latest case, a set of badly charred remains.

"Hey Bones."

"The victim appears to have died from single stab wound to the neck, inadvertently severing the carotid artery. I'll get Zach to work on the murder weapon."

"Right Bones." Booth walked round her, going to great lengths to avoid the forensic artist standing next to Brennan, studiously jotting down notes onto her file.

He leaned to whisper into Brennan's ear, "Didn't see you when I woke up this morning."

"I didn't want to turn up for work in yesterday's clothes Booth." She replied too loudly for his comfort.

Angela looked up with a broad smile on her face.

"Geez Bones! Did you have to announce it to the whole world?"

"I have nothing to hide."

"Bones, it's not that we have anything to hide but you'd think you could be more discreet."

"If you wanted discreet you shouldn't have brought it up on the forensic platform."

"Nevermind Bones, do you have a suspect for us?"

"How can I when you keep interrupting my work?"

"What do you mean keep interrupting? This is the first time I've spoken to you today!"

"And if you keep hovering around me, we'll never have any suspects."

"Fine Bones! What? Did you get up on the wrong side of bed?"

"I don't know what that means; I was on your bed when I woke up!"

"Bones!"

Angela half-squealed, half-laughed and Booth scowled. The woman got him so mad sometimes but damn, he was attracted to her.

"Look, just call me when you have something ok Bones?" Booth replied shaking his head as he left the lab.

They partners did not speak much later on that day. Brennan declined going with Booth to speak to one of their potential suspects from their case.

Booth was about to end his day on his couch watching tv when his doorbell rang. He opened it to find his partner looking straight at him. The look in her eyes told him she was here for one thing only. If women were hard to figure out, Temperance Brennan was the epitome of that example. She placed her palms on Booth's chest, pushing him back into his apartment, slamming his door shut with a kick of her leg. Booth asked no questions, simply led her to his bedroom. Perhaps they could talk once her biological urges were satisfied.

"Are we ok?" Booth asked when he rolled off her much later, breathing hard.

"I'm feeling great." Brennan smiled up at him, trying to catch her breath.

"Cos I thought, you were mad at me."

"I'm not now."

"Ok." Booth replied quietly. He wondered if he would wake up alone again. "Are you staying the night?"

"If you promise me we can have sex again in the morning I might."

"Did you pack clothes for work?"

Brennan grinned her mischievous grin. "Yes."

"Then yes Bones, I promise."

The next couple of months went by in similar fashion, solving cases by day, passionate sex at night at either one of their apartments. Booth was beginning to believe that the initial disagreements they had were just little speed bumps, teething problems, typical of any relationship. That was until he found out one evening when he turned up at the Jeffersonian to pick Brennan up from work that she had gone on a date.

"What the hell Bones!" Booth stood a half hour later at the table where Brennan and her date were enjoying their dinner.

"Excuse me!" Brennan's date stood up rather angrily, glaring at Booth.

"No, excuse yourself. I'm trying to have a conversation with my girlfriend."

"Your – "

"Yes, my girlfriend. So if you could just get the hell out of here…"

"I didn't know."

"Yeah well now you do buddy, so if you could just leave - "

"No." Brennan stood up, clearly upset at Booth's actions. "I'm leaving."

"Bones wait!"

Booth took off after her, and as they exited the restaurant she spun round to look at him. Booth took a step back, half-expecting her to kick his feet from under him again. She didn't, so Booth took a step forward.

"You dumping me Bones?"

"No."

"Are you cheating on me in a very obvious manner then?"

"No."

"Then what the hell was that?"

"It was only a dinner date, it wasn't like I was going to have sex with him. You keep me very satisfied physically."

"Oh so that's how you define your relationships."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means, why did you go on a date with another guy, when we've been seeing each other for months now?"

"Because, I don't believe in monogamy. All relationships are temporary."

"No Bones not all." Booth lowered his voice. "Ours shouldn't be. Come on Bones, after all this time together, don't tell me you don't feel anything?"

The truth was she did, and what she felt was new and scary. And she dealt with it the only way she was accustomed to.

"No Booth I don't'."

"I'm not the kind of guy who is in it just for sex." He surprised himself by uttering the word with relative ease. "And what we have, what I've felt these months, it can't be just physical."

"What's wrong with a purely physical relationship? What you're describing are just endorphins in your brain."

Booth didn't want one of her squinty explainations now. "I have been in those kind of relationships before, but I want more than that with you."

"I – " Brennan paused as if considering the possibility. "If that's what you want, then I'm not sure if we're that compatible after all."

Brennan turned, not wanting Booth to see the tears in her eyes. She hurriedly got into her car and gunning the engine, took off before Booth could react.

Booth stood stunned. Did he just get dumped by the woman he was crazy about? He buried his face into his hands and let out a groan of frustration. Maybe she was right, maybe with their differences in belief and opinion, it was impossible to be together.

_Reviews please! I've been tired from work but if you guys review, I could be persuaded to post my next chapter sooner :)_


	6. Chapter 6: Coming For You

_Thank you once again for everyone's kind words. And yes if you've noticed from the previous chapter Parker has grown up to be a medical doctor but more on him later. I'm alternating stories at the moment so bear with me. _

Brennan's early morning quiet working on her biography was interrupted by a loud knocking on her study door. She instantly knew who it was.

"Hey." Booth poked his head through the doorway. "Ready or not here I come. You'd better hide away the top-secret stuff you're working on."

Brennan smiled. "It's not a secret. You'll get to read it when it's done."

Booth walked in. After all these years he still had boundless energy and his infectious grin. "I'm hungry."

"I could cook you some eggs and bacon before you go to work."

"You read my mind Bones."

He leaned to kiss her.

"Get away, you're sweaty."

"You didn't seem to mind that I was sweaty last night."

"That was last night."

"Right."

"Parker called."

"He's ok?"

"Yes. He was worried how we took the news."

"Did you tell him?"

"Yes. I told him we were very happy for him and that he would make a great father just like you are."

"Thanks Bones." Booth tried to kiss her again.

"Shower before kiss."

"Like I said, you didn't seem to mind last night." Booth grumbled as he made his way to the shower.

An hour later Brennan had sent a well-fed Booth off to work. She mused as she started to work on her book again that if anyone told her about twenty years ago that she would have cooked her husband breakfast and sent him off to work, she would have scoffed and laughed it off then insisted that it was an impossibility,

_Chapter 5 – Coming for you_

Brennan swiped the beads of perspiration from her forehead. The weather was hot, unbearably so. With the small brush in her hand she gently dusted the sand back. She smiled, a feeling of satisfaction creeping over her. She was back to her first love, participating in historical digs, the very roots of anthropology. When she first got here, she had spent days trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing. Now a week into the dig, she was fairly certain she had done the right thing.

All of a sudden, sand began to slide down her dig site. Over-eager interns again. Brennan looked up, lifting her head.

"I told you – "

She stopped. She wasn't expecting him.

"Booth?"

Booth stood at the edge of the trench. He wore a pair of sunglasses, shielding his eyes from the glare of the afternoon sun. Was she hallucinating? Dehydrated? It had been hours since she stopped for a drink of water.

"Hey Bones."

"Booth? What are you doing here?"

""I came for my partner. We've got a case."

"You flew thousands of miles for that?"

"Yeah Bones."

Brennan was more than annoyed now. "I'm on sabbatical. Zach is more than capable of partnering you."

"I know Bones, but, you're easier on the eyes than he is."

"Leave me alone Booth. I need to get back to my work."

"Bones, we need to talk."

"Not now Booth."

"Fine. I'll wait, till you're done, then we can talk."

"It's gonna take awhile."

"Like I said, I'll wait." Booth glanced up; there wasn't shade within view save for a small tent a short distance from the dig site. "I'll wait right there, till you're done." He pointed to the tent.

The tent was hot and provided little relief from the merciless sun. Booth's T-shirt was soaked in his perspiration and the small bottle of water he brought with him had run out. The sun set and still Brennan worked tirelessly on her remains. The heat soon gave way to a night time chill, and Booth was beginning to nod off when Brennan climbed out of the dig site, flash light in hand.

"You still here?"

"I told you I'd wait."

"I'm really tired and I've got sand all over."

"We could go back to your hotel."

"I'm really not in the mood for – "

"Bones. I just came here to talk to you, that's all."

"Ok. I drove."

Booth and Brennan drove in awkward silence back to her hotel. Booth ordered room service while Brennan showered and changed. By the time, the food arrived, Brennan was fast asleep on the bed.

Booth sighed. She looked so tranquil sleeping. He loved watching her sleep. She was beautiful, so beautiful, he felt his heart ache just looking at her. He had it bad for her, and he knew it. They had to talk, he didn't like the way things were left off the last time they spoke but that would have to wait till morning. He pulled hte covers over her.

Booth hadn't planned on staying long, so he had packed light. Just a small overnight bag. He took a quick shower then changed into another T-shirt and sweats. He contemplated slipping under the covers next to her, but decided against it. God knew how much he missed her, but right now, he didn't know where he stood with her. The small couch in the corner of the hotel room would have to do. Maybe things would be clearer in the morning.

When Booth woke in the morning, his back was killing him. An old injury from his days of college football. He should have known better than to sleep on the cramped couch. He rubbed his eyes sleepily. He heard the bathroom door open and Brennan stepped out looking like she was ready for another day of work out in the dessert.

"Morning Bones."

"I'm going to work."

Booth stood up, a little too quickly and winced.

"You hurt your back."

"It's nothing."

"You were welcome to join me in bed."

"How was I supposed to know that?"

Brennan fell silent and Booth suddenly felt guilty for raising his voice.

"Look Bones, all I'm asking for is an hour tops. Come on, you gotta eat breakfast right?"

Brennan hesitated. "Coffee."

Booth grinned, "Just give me a minute."

Fifteen minutes later, Booth had showered, shaved and dressed, and they were seated in the hotel café. Booth hardly touched his breakfast, and Brennan sipped on her coffee.

"I know you're running Bones."

"I'm not, I'm sitting right here with you."

"I didn't mean literally." Booth sighed. He ran a hand through his dark hair. "Bones, imagine how surprised I was when I turned up at the Jeffersonian that morning after you went on that date with that guy, and found out that my partner and girlfriend had decided overnight that she was going on sabbatical? I thought either I had really screwed up, or you did. I was ready to give up. I just didn't get you, things were going great between us, then you go on some date with another man, then fly off to Egypt to participate in some dig the next day. I wasn't even sure, am still not sure if you dumped me. It drove me crazy Bones. Ask anyone, I was ready to shoot somebody. Then I talked to Angela."

Brennan shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Booth took it as a good sign. He was getting somewhere.

"I get it now Bones. Look, all your life, people have been walking out on you. You felt abandoned, time after time. So you've built this defense mechanism. If you don't let people in, don't get too close to them, then they have no chance to hurt you. Even if they walk out on you, you won't get hurt, cos you're just not that attached to them. I don't know about everyone else in your life, your parents, your brother, or any other boyfriends you had before me."

Booth reached out and took her chin between his thumb and index finger, tilting her head ever so lightly so that their eyes met.

"I'm not going to leave you Bones." He said it with so much conviction, Brennan wanted desperately to believe him.

"I don't know if I'm still your boyfriend, but I _am_ still your partner. And partners don't abandon each other. I want you to know Bones, that I love you. But if you decide that us being together is too much for you to handle, then I'll wait. I'm not going anywhere, cos I'm your partner, and I'm not the kind of person who leaves someone. You can try running like you're doing now, but I'll _always_ come for you. It may be Egypt now, but even if you're in Peru, or Antarctica, or Mongolia, I'm coming for you."

Brennan should have felt scared by Booth's words but for some inexplicable reason, she felt assured by them. Nobody had pledged to be with her like Booth just did, well maybe her parents did when she was little and look what they did. But Booth sounded so sincere, and he was right, he had flown all this way to her.

"I don't know what to say Booth, I'm not sure what I can offer you in return."

"I'm not asking for anything Bones. Just trust me alright?"

Booth's hand had moved to take hers in his and was gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

"My plane leaves in a couple of hours."

"You're leaving?"

"Yes Bones. In a physical sense. But like I promised I'm always gonna be right here. I'm only a phonecall away. All you gotta do is pick up your phone and call me." Booth wanted to giver her time to process what he had just said, and he knew his presence would complicate things for her. Besides, he really did have a murder to solve back home in DC. He wanted her to know that the ball was in her court now, and everything would be up to her.

"If I could I'd pick you up, sling you over my shoulder and take you home to DC with me, and we could start all over. But I respect you too much to do that."

Booth stood up, his eyes still locked on her. "I love you Bones. I'll be waiting for you to come home."

He bent down to plant a light kiss on her cheek then was gone, leaving Brennan alone with her thoughts.

_Ok everyone, let me know what you think of the story so far. _


	7. Chapter 7: Compromise

**Disclaimer: **As always Bones is property of FOX.

_Apologies for taking so long to update this fic. My ideas were more of running for my other fic. And thank you all for your reviews. Keep 'em coming. Here we go, some good ol' BB interaction. I'm a sucker for fluff, too many angsty fics out there, my other one included :p Here's some sweetness._

"Knock, knock," Booth popped his head in Brennnan's study for the second time that day.

"You're home already?"

"A _welcome home_ would've been nice. You been in here all day?"

Brennan glanced at the clock. "I hadn't realized the time. Eight already?"

"Yup." Booth strode into the room, bending to kiss his wife on the lips. "Miss me?"

"Yes, I did." Brennan smiled back. "You always have to ask when you obviously know the answer."

"I had to be sure, what with you on your computer all day, you could be chatting up some good-looking young guy."

Brennan rolled her eyes at her husband. "I would never. You know that."

"I know Bones."

"You're annoying me on purpose."

Booth held up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry ok, I just like to see you riled up now and then. You don't go into the field with me that much anymore, I miss the firery you."

"I can show you firery later if you like."

"I like." Booth grinned. "What have you been up to?"

"Yoga, writing, and I had to go to replenish our groceries because you finished our last carton of milk and didn't have the courtesy to tell me."

Booth winked. "Sorry, I'll make the trip to get groceries next time. Gotta love the yoga though, keeps you nimble at this age, good for what we do in bed."

"Did you just imply that I'm old?"

"Maybe." Booth grinned "Don't worry just means I'm older."

He took her hand and pulled her up from her seat. "You must be hungry. I'm starving."

"I'm sorry I forgot the time, I - "

"Don't worry Bones, I figured as much. Are we expecting anyone over for dinner?"

"No."

"Great. I've got some take out. Feel like Chinese?"

"Yes."

"Must be something special there you're working on huh Bones? You've been at it since I left this morning."

"It is. You're still not gonna get to see it till I'm done."

Booth smiled, he didn't think so. His hand fell to the small of her back. It fit there like it always did all these years.

"Wouldn't dream that I would. Let's go eat dinner."

_Chapter 6 – Compromise _

How does the saying go? Something about if you love someone set them free, and they might come back to you? Well he had let that someone go some five weeks ago. Five long weeks since Booth left Brennan in Egypt. She hadn't come back to him, and letting her go hurt like hell. Booth sat on his couch that night, his only company a cold beer and the game on tv. He was about to drift off to sleep when a loud knocking on the door startled him. Booth jumped up, almost spilling his beer.

He made his way to the door, cracking it open. He never had visitors at this hour now that Bones was on sabbatical tens of thousands of miles away. He was weary who it might be. Booth opened the door just enough for him to peek outside. He blinked at who it was. Was he dreaming?

Booth yanked the door wide open, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was not hallucinating.

"Are you going to stand there and gawk or are you going to let me in?"

"Bones. When did you get back?" Booth stepped back, he stepped back allowing her to walk in.

"This morning." That explained her turning up empty-handed. He always expected that when she did come back she would come straight to him. He had been wrong. He was almost afraid to ask why she didn't call.

"I stopped by the Jeffersonian when I got in but you weren't there."

That explained it. He was being over-sensitive.

"I… there wasn't a case. No reason for me to be there." Booth had been avoiding the Jeffersonian, there was no need for him to be there since she wasn't.

There was a moment of awkward silence. Booth was suddenly nervous. When he was nervous, he talked.

"So, how have you been Bones? You look great, a little more tanned than I remember but I like it, I mean your tan, you look very nice."

"Thanks Booth. You look like you've been doing well too."

She had no idea. He wasn't exactly good but wasn't about to admit it though.

"I've been.. you know doing fine. Can I get you anything? Something to drink?"

"I'm good Booth."

"Right."

"So Bones…. How have you been? It's been awhile."

How was she? Brennan had it all thought out in her head. The moment Booth left, she felt the impact, not just the physical loss but it felt like there had been a gaping hole somewhere, so she did what she did best, compartmentalize. She buried herself in work, which was enjoyable on one level but on a deeper level, it wasn't the same. She was good at this denial thing, but if she forced herself to be honest, she couldn't deny it. She wanted Booth, wanted to be with him. But it was scary at the same time.

"I've been busy Booth, with work. I promised I'd finish the dig and I did."

"I'm glad you're back Bones."

Booth was beginning to get a bad feeling in his gut. Was she here to tell him she wasn't ready? He had promised her he would wait, but now after so long, seeing her here in his apartment, such close proximity and not being able to pull her close was agonizing. He hadn't counted on it being so hard, he just wasn't as good as compartmentalizing as she was. He wasn't sure he could be just her partner in a professional sense after what they had so many months ago.

"Zach has been good to work with but I liked working with you. If you're here to tell me you just want to be my partner and nothing more…"

"No Booth."

Booth's stopped. No? A glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

"I thought a lot while I was in Egypt."

"Since when don't you think Bones?"

Brennan smiled. He was right.

"I was thinking about what you said, about what you offered. If I were to be entirely honest with myself, what you offered sounds very appealing."

"It does? I mean, yes of course, it does."

"All my life I've been alone. The people I care about have all left me. If you're offering never to leave me…."

She looked all thoughtful, a little shy even. So cute.

"I'm drawn to the notion of a man promising that he'd never leave me, although I'm not sure it's entirely doable or practical. Change is inevitable. The law of entropy dictates it so."

"No, not me, not us, not if you give me a chance Bones."

"On the other hand, I'm not sure if I can offer you what you're looking for in a woman. You want commitment, a marriage, children. All I can offer is that I'll try, but I don't believe in marriage and all that comes with it."

"Are you saying you're willing to give us a chance?"

"Yes. But I'm not sure I can commit to anything, I mean you say you wouldn't leave but – "

"I get it Bones. You want to take us for a test drive, see if you like the way we feel together."

"After our initial months together, I do think what we have may potentially be very good."

"You kidding Bones?" Booth grinned. "What we had, are going to have together, is going to blow your mind."

"I'm not saying I promise I won't freak out again."

"I know Bones, but I'm just happy you're willing to try."

"I propose a compromise."

"How so?"

"I know how much you want a committed relationship, marriage and everything else that comes with it. The thought of having a serious monogamous relationship with someone, even having children is admittedly unpleasant and even frightening to me. But I really want to be with you."

"You're asking if I can compromise my beliefs?"

"Yes."

Booth sighed. "Look, what I said to you in Egypt still stands. I'm still crazy in love with you. And I'm always gonna be here for you Bones. If you don't believe in marriage or having kids, I can live with that."

Brennan smiled. This man _was_ willing to change, just for her. "Thanks Booth. I can promise the next time I feel like I'm geeting too deep into this, I won't run away."

"And no more dating other guys?"

"Yes. No more."

"Good enough for me Bones."

Booth looked at her then held out his arms. "Now come here, I've been waiting all night to do this."

Brennan walked forward, falling into his embrace. She still felt like she belonged, it still felt right. Nothing felt better than this. Booth lowered his head and pressed his lips to her for a searing kiss.

_TBC_


	8. Chapter 8: Assurances

_So I'm back working on this story. Many apologies to those who waited forever for me to update this story. I realized I could only do one story well at a time._

_I suggest those of you who are lost to read the previous chapters to get caught up, just as I had to! _

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"And to what honor do I have for having Dr Temperance Brennan come in to work on my case today?"

Brennan watched her grinning husband as he swiped his card and walked up the forensic platform.

"What the case too hard for you Clark?"

Clark opened his mouth to reply but Brennan beat him to it.

"No, Clark just wanted another opinion on the murder weapon. This is a high profile case. Booth."

"Yeah." Brennan watched as Booth sighed. "Had to be the senator's son."

"I do believe Clark was correct in concluding that the murder weapon was a blunt force trauma to the head with something with these markings, rather than a gunshot to the chest that was originally thought."

"Markings?"

"Like these." Brennan pointed to the image on the wide-screen monitor. "Maybe I can get Angela to try to figure out what these are."

"Looks oriental." Clark added.

"Get me to what?" Angela asked walking up the platform.

"No need." Booth replied. I've seen that pattern before."

"Where?" Brennan asked.

"Edward Keyes. One of our suspects on the case, I spoke to him this morning. He had this sculpture, had carvings on it that looked like this."

Booth walked up to kiss Brennan lightly on the cheeks. "Thank Bones, you're the best."

"You too Clark, I'd kiss you too but you know, not in front of my wife."

Angela laughed at Clark's obvious discomfort.

"I'm gonna talk to Keyes now. Coming?" Booth turned to his partner of old.

"Sure why not? Been awhile since I've gone with you on to interrogate s suspect."

"Yeah it has been awhile." Booth replied as they made their way down the steps.

"You know it's kinda of a turn on, I haven't seen you in action in the interrogation room in awhile."

"Really? Great! Maybe if I wrap up this case, tonight we can do slow and passionate as opposed to the fast and furious that we did this morning?"

Angela laughed as Clark groaned, "Why am I always in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

Hearing Clark's comment as they exited the lab, Booth remarked, "You'd think he'd be used to all this by now."

Brennan laughed. "Yeah, you would think."

She felt his hand on the small of her back, guiding her, and remembered the chapter of her book she had written before coming in that morning. Truly he was her one constant.

_Chapter 7 – Assurances _

Booth woke up from a sudden chill, making him bury his head deeper under the covers. He reached out for his girlfriend of almost six months. Actually more than that, but there was that five weeks when she was in Egypt and when he wasn't sure if he was still her boyfriend. But they were all technicalities, what was important was that they were still together, defying the odds, and he liked that.

All in all their partnership had passed its one year mark, and in a professional sense, they were extremely successful. In the romantic sense, it had been a series of ups and downs but things seemed to have settled for the better.

Booth was ready to spend the rest of his life with this woman. She has asked for a compromise upon her return from sabbatical, no talk of marriage or kids, just the two of them. For now, it was working great and it was all that mattered.

Booth was disappointed when he felt empty space next to him. He cracked open his eyes, squinting at the morning light. She wasn't there. Did they have a case? Why didn't she wake him? The winter chill hit him as he threw off the covers. The heater was working but it was still cold. He found his robe and pulled it on.

Making is way into the living room of Brennan's apartment where they spent almost all their time together now, he found her sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Hey, you're up early."

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep."

"Wasn't my snoring was it?"

"No, I'm quite used to the sounds you make in your sleep now."

Booth smiled, pouring himself a cup of coffee and taking the seat next to her.

"Something's bothering you, I know."

Brennan remained silent.

"Is it about Parker? Cos I haven't told him yet. I can still take him back to my apartment this weekend."

Booth had literally moved into Brennan's apartment in the past month, only going back to his own on weekends when he had Parker over. She had mentioned a couple of days ago that she wished they had weekends together. He had mentioned he always got Parker on weekends. She had suggested that Parker stay over at her apartment instead. Booth had seen it as progression and had readily agreed. He knew Bones got along with his son, but she never wanted kids, so he left it at that. Maybe it was too fast too soon.

"Look Bones, I don't want you to feel obliged, if you don't want to have Parker over, it's totally ok by me."

"No, I do want Parker over. It has nothing to do with the fact that he's coming over to stay the weekend."

Booth took her hand, rubbing the top of her hand gently with his thumb.

"So what's bothering you?"

Brennan took a breath, Booth had kept his end of the bargain, not pressuring her into anything at all. It was time to hold up her end, to be honest.

"Sometimes, I wake up in the morning, and I get this feeling, like I'm going to wake up and find you gone."

"Gone? Like your parents?"

"Yeah."

"Bones, you know I would never leave you."

"It's becoming increasingly alarming to me that my happiness is so dependant on one person. It's all very confusing, a paradox. I want this, want you, to be with you for a very long time. I have never been in a relationship with one man, as long as I have been with you. If you count our partnership, it's been a year."

"Yeah, it's been a year. Regrets?"

"Surprisingly, none."

"You happy?"

"Yes."

"Good, cos I'm happy too."

"I'm still trying to get used to the fact that you are all I have now. I used to think I'll be ok on my own, alone, but now – "

"Hey," Booth tilts turns to look her in the eye. "It's ok to be dependant on someone."

Brennan doesn't answer, only stares back into his eyes. Eyes she had become so accustomed to, eyes she ad come to associated with love and warmth. The corner of his eyes crinkled as he offered a smile.

"I know that you were used to being alone, not wanting to open yourself up to being left behind again, but I'm gonna change that. I know that the unfamiliar is scary, but give us some time, you'll see. You are that someone for me. It's ok if I'm that someone for you. I'm not leaving you Temperance."

"I believe you." Brennan replied, leaning into him for a kiss.

Little did Booth know that he would soon have to go back on his words.

_TBC_

_Ya' all like? Review please!_


	9. Chapter 9 : Trust Me

_Thank you to all who read and reviewed. After that somewhat cliffhanger from the last chapter, here's the next chapter, angst smut involved. Enjoy! _

That she was fairly well-off was an understatement. Well-off enough to afford a big house in the DC suburbs, a house that felt bigger now that all her children had all left home. A house so big, it had many rooms such that she and her husband could each have their own study. Hers was bigger but she spent more time in it anyway. Although unspoken, there was a mutual agreement, they never looked into each others' things. It wasn't that they had secrets to hide, it was a matter of respect and trust.

It was on one such day, after lunch when Brennan went in search of her missing box of paper clips. It was usually at the corner of her desk but this day it went missing. Since paper clips do not sprout legs and walk away, she was certain that the missing box must have been taken by the other occupant of the house.

Walking into her husband's study, she was delighted to find that she was right. The box in question sat on top of a pile of paper on his desk. She made a mental note to tell him to tidy up his desk, it was messier than she remembered it to be. It was a wonder he found anything under his files and piles of paper. As she picked the box of paper clips up, her gaze fell the top piece of paper underneath it.

She never meant to pry but the first couple of sentences made curiosity get the better of her and she picked it up, now concluding that it was a letter addressed to her husband she was reading. The more she read, the more she fumed, and when she realized that he must have known about this for slightly more than a week now, she fumed even more.

Thursday nights was date night. A Booth tradition since the kids got older and their youngest start elementary school. It was a way "to keep the fire alive" as Booth had explained it to her so many years ago. And they kept it up most of the time ever since.

It was Thursdy and it was Booth's turn to pick out a place. He chose their favorite Thai place, nothing surprising there, but he went to great lengths to romance her, a bottle of wine included. After desert and into her second glass of wine, Brennan could hold it back no longer.

"When were you going to tell me?"

"Huh? Tell you what?"

"About Dallas."

Booth crinkled his forehead, as if trying to figure out what she meant.

"What's in Dallas?"

"Come off it Booth, I read the letter in your study."

"Oh that. Temperance, honey," Booth took her hands in his. She pulled them out of his grasp, clearly still upset.

"The reason I didn't tell you is that there's nothing to tell, I wasn't going to accept the offer."

"Why?"

"Because it would mean leaving here."

"I'd come with you. Our kids all have their own lives now."

"I know you would. But I couldn't ask that of you. You life, our lives is here. We've built our lives here in DC, around the squints and the Jeffersonian. I know it would be a big sacrifice if we moved."

"Taking up the offer to go to Dallas is a promotion right?"

"Right. Contrary to what Jared would have you believe that I'm afraid of success – "

"I don't believe Jared."

"I know Bones." Booth smiled. "I don't need a promotion ok? I don't need the money or recognition either. I already have a very successful career here in DC, and I've got you to thank for that. Truth is, I like it here, and like working with your squints too much to move. I know you do to."

Brennan suddenly felt guilty for feeling angry. Everything he did, he did it with her or their children in mind.

"You're right." Brennan's lips curved into a smile. "You're really sweet you know that?"

"I know."

"And you have a big ego."

"I know." Booth laughed.

"No regrets?"

"No. I'd never regret anything I do for you, for us."

Booth leaned across the table to plant a kiss on her lips. She licked the taste of wine off his.

He was really too good for her. She remembered the chapter of her biography she had written earlier this morning. She couldn't believe there was a time in the past she didn't think he had what was best for them in mind.

_Chapter 8 – Trust Me_

Booth had been serious all through dinner. That night as they settled into Brennan's bed, he showed no inclination towards wanting sex at all, which puzzled Brennan. She chalked it up to him being tired, they had a rough case and it had been physically as well as mentally draining. She was glad the case was over and they could finally get some rest.

Booth lay on his back, staring at her ceiling. Quiet.

Brennan moved to lay her head on his bare chest.

"Bones?"

"Yes?"

"I've got to do something… you're not gonna like this."

That caught her attention. She propped her head up on one hand. Booth turned his head to look at her.

"I talked to Rebecca this afternoon." He sighed. "Parker, he's getting into trouble in school."

"He's in kindergarten. What kind of trouble could he be in?"

"He's being withdrawn, and when he's not he's kicking and biting, and annoying other kids. Rebecca took him to some shrink, who thinks that he needs some form of a stable family structure."

Brennan wasn't sure where this was going but she suddenly didn't like where she thought this conversation was headed.

"I told her it was because she keeps changing boyfriends, but she had other ideas. She asked me if we could give it one more try, you know , me and her, so that Parker can have both parents with him all the time."

Brennan's mouth went dry. He _was_ leaving her. She knew he was too good to be true.

"Look Bones, don't jump to conclusions alright? I told Rebecca no. I told her there was no way and it wasn't going to work because I'm not in love with her. I'm in love with you."

"But what about Parker?"

"I told Rebecca I can't be with her, can't be in a relationship with her, but she asked me to try, for Parker's sake. She asked me to go with her and Parker to Vermont to visit her parents for two weeks. I gave this a lot of thought Bones. I'm gonna go with them."

"You're leaving me."

It was a statement, not a question. At that moment, Brennan felt her heart break. He was leaving her, just like everyone in her life had. She was a fool to let him talk her into allowing him to walk into her life and take such prominence. She sat up in bed, drawing her legs up to her chest.

Booth got up immediately.

"I'm not leaving you Bones, I promised you and I won't. I could never."

"You're not leaving me but you're going to Vermont with your ex and your son, to try getting back together with her?"

"Look Bones, I owe it to Parker to give this a shot. I'm not saying I'm gonna get back together with Rebecca. All I'm saying is that I'm going to go with them, and spend the two weeks in her parents' house. I'm going there as her friend, and Parker's father, nothing more. Maybe that two weeks would prove to her that we could never be together again, I don't know. I just thought maybe Parker needs me to be there for him right now, maybe something's bothering him, but I don't spend enough time with my son to find out. When we're there, Rebecca would do stuff with her parents and I can have my time with Parker."

Booth's words sounded hollow in her ears. She wasn't an insecure woman. If Booth told her he was going there as Rebecca's friend then that was it. Her head understood the words, but she couldn't make her heart understand.

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"So soon?"

The tears rolled down Brennan's cheeks. She didn't understand her irrational reaction to this.

"Don't cry Bones. Please don't. I knew going would upset you, but it's a choice between Parker and you. My son needs me."

She wanted to cry I need you too, but she fell silent. Who was she to compete with his son? When did she become such an emotional wreck? She was never the emotional type.

"Bones, it's just two weeks, you gotta trust me, I'm coming back, I promise. Nothing's gonna happen between me and Rebecca ok?"

Two weeks alone with his ex, who knew what could happen between them? She heard Booth's words but she didn't _hear_ them.

"Bones, come on, talk to me."

She didn't respond, but he tears still flowed. She felt anger at being so gullible. Anger at him and herself.

Booth reacted by doing what he knew was the only way to get through to her. He leaned to kiss her tears away. His lips traveled to hers, kissing slowly and tenderly, willing her pain and distrust away. She responded slowly, but she was responding.

She turned her head to him, and deepened the kiss. He pulled the her sleep shirt over her head, revealing her milky white breasts. He pushed her slowly onto her back. Kissing and nipping at the hollow of her neck, happy that he elicited moans of pleasure from her as his hand cupped her right breast, kneading and circling her nipple with his thumb.

Her nails scraped his back, sending shivers down his spine. He wanted her to know that she was his and he was hers and tried desperately to convey it to her in his actions. His kissed a trail down the valley between her breasts, then moving to take one nipple into his mouth. He sucked and licked as she bucked and groaned under him. His hand moved to test her folds, delighted to feel her slick wetness on his fingertips.

The thumb that was circling her nipple moments earlier now circled her clit, rubbing and causing delicious friction, making her core ache even more for him.

He ground his rock hard erection into her thigh, trying to relieve some of the ache he was feeling. She moaned, leaving open-mouthed cries as he worried her clit with his thumb, slipping two fingers into her hot wet core.

"Oh Seeley, don't stop…"

Booth kept up the pace, bring her closer to the edge. Somehow finding the will to take his hand in hers, she yanked it up from between her legs.

"Bones?"

She never stopped him like that before.

Still panting, she managed a husky, "I need to feel you inside me, need to know you love me."

Booth understood. He lowered his lips to hers again, then kissed a trail down her neck as he aligned himself outside her opening, the tip of him teasing her, making her shudder.

"I love you Temperance," he whispered into her ear as he sheathed himself inside her. Their mutual "ohhhs" as he filled her, stretched her, echoed in the bedroom.

He did not move for a second as they stared into each others' eyes, blue into brown, brown into blue. He tried to convey the depth of his love to her without words. Slowly he began to move inside her, and her eyes fluttered shut. She arched her hips up to meet his, allowing him deeper penetration, hitting that sweet spot within, all the while, his lips never left the soft skin of her neck.

His strokes became faster and their breathing more ragged. He sensed his balls tightening.

He breathed out his declaration of love for her, each word, punctuated with a thrust of his cock into her. His words came out in a jumble of nonsense he hoped she would understand.

"So good….only…..you…. no one…. else….. you're….. mine….. don't want…..anyone…… else…… yours….love…..ahhhh…. Bones!"

His release came just as he felt her walls clench around his and she yelled a strangled "Booth!"

He managed one more stroke as he emptied himself into her, holding her close as she whimpered, kissing her neck through her climax.

Spent, he slipped out of her, giving her one last kiss on the lips before rolling off her, pulling her into his arms.

"I love you Temperance." He whispered into her hair. "Never doubt that."

Brennan never hand such bitter-sweet mind-blowing sex before. It would have been phenomenal if the thought of him leaving in the morning hadn't been at the back of her mind all the time. He had made her feel as if she was the last woman he had ever wanted to be with, made her feel like he loved her more than anyone else possibly could. So why then was he leaving? It was all too confusing, and she was exhausted.

A fitful sleep claimed her. When she woke to the sound of her ringing alarm clock, he was gone, leaving a gaping hole in her heart.

_TBC_

_Reviews please, you know how I love to read all you reviews. _


	10. Chapter 10: Mistake

_Again, thanks for all your reviews. And glad to read so many of you are following this story eagerly. Makes me wanna write more. _

Temperance Brennan was completely engrossed in working on her latest chapter. She had come to the point where she had to write a rather painful part of her past. She had toyed with the idea of skipping these events totally, but she knew Booth would eventually read her book, and he would notice the discrepancies.

Her whole married life she had lived in fear of Booth finding out. She had originally intended on taking the secret to the grave with her, but she was a factual person, and if she was to write a biography, it would be for her progeny. She didn't want to be inaccurate, and she wanted her children to realize how far she and their father had come. She just didn't know how to tell Booth she had kept this from him all this time.

Fortunately she didn't have to worry about telling him right now. Two days after date night that week he had been called away to Delaware. Booth had been hot on the trail of a serial killer and they had finally located the killer. Booth was leading a team of FBI agents on this arrest.

Her worry for him and the chapter she was writing made Brennan feel miserable. It wasn't that she was one of those needy women who couldn't do without her husband. She loved him, and wanted him. She knew she needed him, but she could deal with separation. This evening however, she was missing him terribly.

The house phone rang, and she instantly knew who was on the line. She knew he hated to admit it, but he dealt with their time apart a little worse than she did.

"Hey baby."

"How'd you know it was going to be me? What if it was one of the kids? Or some guy selling insurance or something?"

"I just know Booth. I knew you'd miss me."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too."

There was a heavy silence, then Booth spoke. "We're staking out the house. We know he's in there. I'm leading a team in if he doesn't make an appearance in the next hour."

"Booth…"

"It'll be ok Bones."

"You're not thirty-five anymore."

"I'm still a field agent honey."

"The younger agents are more than capable of going in and arresting this guy. You don't need to lead the team."

"I've been working on this case for months Bones. I'm the most senior agent here. I've got to lead them."

Brennan bit her lip, then let out a sigh. They were both stubborn people. "Just… be careful."

"I will Bones. I promise. Hey in an hour, this is going to be over, and I'll be coming home to you in no time. Just gotta go in, get this guy, do the usual talking to him, do the paperwork, and it'll all be over. And I'm wearing a bullet-proof vest so no worries alright?"

"I'll be waiting."

"I gotta go. I'll call you when this is wrapped up. Love you."

"I love you too."

The click as they hung up was felt more by Brennan. She couldn't help but worry, but she trusted him. He promised he would be back, and he would be. She wished so many years ago, she had believed him then.

_Chapter 9 – Mistake_

"Bren!" Angela Montenegro banged on the door to the stall in the Womens' bathroom in the Jeffersonian lab.

"Sweetie, are you ok? You've been in there for a really long time?"

Angela was about to bang on the door again when it flew open, forcing Angela to stop moving her hand in mid-air before her fist connected with Brennan's face.

On the surface, Brennan looked, normal, always calm and collected but Angela detected something being off.

"You ok?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Was there something you needed?"

"No, I just thought something happened, you locked yourself in there for such a long time."

"I said I'm fine Angela."

"You miss Booth don't you?"

The mention of is name made her heart ache in a familiar, yet unpleasant way. He had been gone a week now. He had called her twice and told her about how things were going between him and Parker, and assured her he would be coming back to her, that he wasn't getting back together with Rebecca. But there was this nagging feeling that he was there with his ex and son, that things could happen. Brennan had tried to chide herself. She was being ridiculous. Booth was a young healthy adult make in his early thirties, he had biological urges that needed to be satisfied almost daily. She had first-hand knowledge of it. She couldn't help but wonder if he was satisfying them with Rebecca right now. The thought made her feel angry and sick to the stomach. The logical Brennan would have said it was ok, monogamy was overrated anyway, but the part of her that believed in everything that Booth had promised her was hurting.

"Earth to Bren?"

"What?"

"I asked if you missed your Mr FB Eye-candy?"

"No…. not really."

"It's ok to miss him, he is your boyfriend. You're not feeling jealous are you?"

"There should be no reason to be jealous, right Ange?"

"Right. He's totally into you."

Brennan's expression changed suddenly, she had that look when she decided something and nobody could change her mind.

"Ange, I need a favor."

"Sure, what are best friends for?"

Brennan shoved a hand into the pocket of her labcoat. She handed her what Angela could hardly believe her eyes were seeing.

Angela grabbed the white stick in question, studying it, before exclaiming, "You're pregnant?!"

"Unfortunately." Brennan's voice was even.

"Does Booth know?"

"No. And he has no need to know."

"What?"

"You sad you'd do me this favor."

"Keeping this from him? You won't be able to for long."

"He doesn't have to know. I'm getting an abortion."

"What?! No."

"I never wanted children anyway, Booth knows that. He has Parker. That's enough."

"But Bren, the baby. It's a part of you and Booth. Can you bear the thought of destroying a part of him? What if he finds out? He'll be so mad."

"Ange, you promised. He doesn't have to know and he'll never find out. And it's not a baby. It's a fetus. I'm getting it done day after tomorrow. The clinic, they need someone to take me home, after the procedure. Can you come give me a ride home after?"

"Oh sweetie…. Ok, I'll do it." Angela sighed. "But not because I approve. I know you'll go through with it and I want to be there to make sure you're ok."

"Thanks Angela."

Brennan took the pregnancy test from Angela then tossed it into the trash. She turned to leave but Angela grabbed her arm.

"Bren, I promise I'll give you a ride home but I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"Think about what you're doing here. Think about what Booth would say, would do. Think about how much it's gonna hurt you and him, especially if he finds out. I know having a baby is scary, but he'll be there for you. He's not the kind of guy who'd walk away from something like this. _This_ can work out. You may not realize it right now, but this, this baby, a family, is what you've always wanted, and Booth wants it too."

"I've made up my mind."

"Promise me, think about it?"

"Ok," Brennan sighed. It had been surprisingly difficult to make this decision, "I'll think about it."

_Click the review button!_

_And don't worry too much about this cliffhanger, you all know BB get married in the end so it a fluffy, happy ending story a the end of all this. _


	11. Chapter 11: Crashing

_I must say a thank you all to your reviews. Like I said, reading them makes me wanna write more ans I read them, and some of you are like all worked up over what Booth's reaction is going to be like. All I have to say is you gotta read to find out. And I'm not mean like Hart and company (kidding, I think the man's a genius for writing such great scripts) I don't make you guys wait an entire summer to resolve a cliffhanger. _

_Thank you all for your reviews, you guys are the greatest for reading ans reviewing. Here's a long chapter. _

"Hey Bren!"

"Angela! I thought you and Hodgins were in Spain?"

Things had been rough for Angela and Hodgins and contrary to what everyone thought they would, they finally got together a second time, then married, years after Brennan and Booth. It took them a long time, but Brennan was happy her best friend finally found her true happiness.

"Yeah, I just thought I'd call and check in on you, with Booth gone and all."

"He's due back anytime now, so you shouldn't have worried."

"You're still gonna tell him?"

Brennan bit her lip. It was an agonizing decision to make but after talking it out with Angela, she decided it would be better to tell him before other people found out.

"Bren?"

"Yes, Ange, I'm telling him. In fact, I'm putting the finishing touches on the chapter now. I'll let him read it as soon as he gets back. That way there's no way anybody else besides you will know about this before him."

"Good. And if he gives you a hard time about it, you let me know, I'll be on the first plane back to kick his gorgeous behind."

In the distance, Brennan thought she heard an annoyed "hey!"

That managed to put a smile on her face.

"Tell Hodgins he has nothing to worry about, no way I'm letting you near Booth. Besides, he has every right to be angry."

"Oh sweetie, you have to stop beating yourself up over this. It's been almost thirty years."

"I'm just finally glad I can get this off my chest."

Brennan heard Hodgins call for Angela.

"I gotta go, good luck."

"I don't believe in luck, you know that, but thanks."

As Brennan hung up she noticed the headlights of Booth's SUV flash across the driveway. She heard him kill the engine. Moments later, the back door to the kitchen opened. Booth walked in, still in his suit, his tie hung loosely round his neck, his overnight bad slung over his shoulder, charm smile on his face.

"Hey honey!"

Brennan wondered if he'd still be smiling when this night was over.

"Hey."

Booth crossed their kitchen in three quick strides, walking to the island where Brennan was seated, working on her book, lowering his head to meet Brennan's lips as his arms pulled her to him for a hug.

"I missed you." He whispered as their lips parted.

"I missed you too."

"Aren't you gonna congratulate me?"

Brennan couldn't help but smile. She knew her husband and her team had worked hard at catching this guy and now that they did catch him meant that their hard work paid off.

"Congratulations baby. I'm glad we finally got this guy off the streets."

"Yeah you and me both. We're gonna have to work on putting the file together so the DA can prosecute this case, we've got more than enough evidence to nail him but still…"

"I know. I've been personally working on it the past couple of days you were gone."

"Thanks Bones."

Booth noticed for the first time that the laptop she was always working on for her books was still left open on the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Hey, not worried I'd read your top secret stuff before it gets published?"

Brennan's face fell downcast and Booth spotted it immediately.

"What?"

Brennan took a breath. "You're not going to like this."

"What? Come on, you're a great author, you can't be thinking what you're writing sucked?"

"Remember I told you I'm working on my biography, the one my publisher wanted me to write?"

"Yeah. Writing about your parents again?"

"No, I haven't got to that part yet."

"Look if writing this is dragging up old memories you'd rather not relive then forget about writing it. Go back to writing the crime stuff about us… I mean Kathy and Andy…"

Brennan didn't smile at his comment.

"I have to write this because we've had a great life together, a life our kids should know about and learn from. I just… there's this part. She sighed, looking up at him, her eyes pleading. "I haven't been entirely honest with you."

Booth took the seat next to her. His voice serious.

"What haven't you been honest about?"

"Promise you won't get mad?"

"Ok I promise. What it is?"

"I thought I'd leave this little detail out, but you know how I have to be honest, I need to tell the truth…." She stopped, turning the laptop to Booth.

She watched as he read what she had wrote, his eyes growing wider as he read, his expression clouding to one she came to recognize as anger.

Booth stood up and slammed the laptop cover down. He stood with his hands on his hips, angry.

"Where you ever going to tell me?!"

"I'm telling you now!" Brennan stood, she was never one to back down from a fight especially not with Booth and wasn't planning on doing so now.

"You told Angela but you didn't tell me? How could you?"

"What, do you have no comprehension skills? Did you read at all that I didn't go through with it?" She walked up to him and poked him hard in the chest.

"What difference does it make? You decided."

"It makes a world of difference Booth!"

"You didn't think I had the right to know?!"

"I didn't know how to tell you! I was feeling guilty!"

Booth turned his head, unable to face her. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Guilty huh? Was that why you had a sudden change of heart? Why all of a sudden you went from not wanting marriage and kids to wanting it?"

Brennan couldn't hold his gaze either.

"What all these years? It was out of guilt?! The fact that you wanted to get pregnant so badly, even before we got married….and Adam? Because you felt guilty?"

The tears started to stream down Brennan's cheeks. She felt as if Booth's words were cutting her heart out.

"Look, I confess, one of the initial reasons I wanted to marry you was – "

"Damn it Bones! After all these years… and we're still together, guilt?"

"I love you Booth! I always have."

"Right, more like felt guilty and decided to make it up to me. You know what? Nevermind Bones." Booth tossed his hands up into the air in an act of frustration.

"Just, nevermind."

Brennan watched as Booth grabbed his overnight bag and walked out, slamming the door behind him. She heard the sound of him gunning the engine of his car, then drive off into the night.

Brennan sat back down on the chair, crying, starring at the blinking cursor on the screen of her laptop, at the chapter, the truth, that had had driven the man she loved away. The secret fear she had carried with her for so many years had finally come true.

_Chapter 10 – Crashing_

"The procedure should be over in an hour. They'd make me rest at the clinic for maybe another hour, then I'll call you to come drive me home."

"I still wish you'd not do this Bren."

"I thought about it long and hard last night Ange. I never wanted children. Booth understands that. Besides, he doesn't know and doesn't have to ever know. He isn't due back in another couple of days, I would have healed up by then. He wouldn't suspect a thing."

"This is a mistake sweetie, but because I don't want you going to some shady clinic in some back-alley to get this done, I'm coming to get you. So make sure you call me."

"I will, thanks Angela."

Brennan hung up. She tried to push the last shred of doubt from her mind. Booth was probably having a good time with Rebecca and Parker right then. He never would have to know. If he came back to her, good they'd pick up where they'd left off, if he never came back to her, or changed his mind after his two weeks with Rebecca…. at least she'd be sure she didn't have a baby to bring up on her own.

Fetus… no… it's a fetus. Brennan kept reminding herself. Not baby. So consumed with her thoughts she never realized she ran a red light. She didn't see the truck coming towards the side of her car till it was too late.

Brennan woke up in the hospital with a throbbing headache. Her arm hurt and so did her abdomen. She opened her eyes, taking a minute to recall what had happened. One minute she was on her way to get an abortion, the next she work up in a hospital.

"Miss Brennan?"

"Dr Brennan." Even though drugged and in pain, she still had to correct whoever the person was.

"Sorry. Dr Brennan."

It took another couple of minutes for her eyes to focus.

"Do you know where you are?"

"I'm in a hospital I presume. I was in a car accident."

"That's good, you remember. I'm Dr Kirkland. We're taking care of you while you heal up here. You ran a red light."

"Is the other driver ok?"

"Yes. Thing is he was driving under the influence, so it was mainly his fault too."

"My injuries?"

"Fracture to your left wrist, concussion, head laceration which we stitched up… and.."

The doctor paused, then continued. "I understand that you were pregnant. The accident caused you to have a miscarriage. I'm terribly sorry."

Brennan blinked. Guess that decision had been made for her by that drunk driver.

"No… it's…. it's ok. I'm ok."

"Is there anyone you'd like us to call, your husband perhaps?"

"No! No. He's…we're not married, he's out of town. I have a friend, Angela, her number is in my cell, you can call her."

"Ok." He turned to leave. "I'll let you get some rest now."

"Dr Kirkland?"

"Yes."

"I'd appreciate if, you'd keep my miscarriage from anyone who asks about my condition. I mean _everyone_."

"Sure."

"Thanks."

Four days later Booth returned to DC. His first stop was to Brennan's apartment, a place to him that was now home. When he let himself in, he was surprised to see her at home, her nose in one of her forensic journals.

"Hey Bones, I thought you'd be at work."

When Brennan lowered the magazine, Booth saw the extent of her injuries.

"Geez Bones, what happened?" He strode over to her and sat down on the couch next to her.

"I was involved in an accident."

"When? Why didn't you call me?"

"You were with Parker."

Booth turned her head gently to him with a finger on her chin, studying the healing stitches on her forehead.

"Bones, you were in an accident. If you'd called me, I'd come right back."

"I didn't want to trouble you."

"You kidding me Bones? It's no trouble, you're my everything. Don't you know that by now?"

"You left me – "

"And I told you, I'd come back, and here I am. I didn't do anything with Rebecca alright? If anything it was a huge mistake. We kept getting on each others' nerves, not in a good way like you and me. But at least I got a whole lot of time with Parker, talked to him, hopefully set him straight."

Booth held up Brennan's hand which was in a cast.

"You sure you're ok? When did the hospital discharge you? Why didn't you stay in the hospital longer?"

"I'm perfectly fine Booth. They discharged me yesterday. I even wanted to go to work today but Angela sent me back."

"She's right. You need to recover from this. What happened?"

"I ran a red light, got hit by some drunk who was driving a truck."

Brennan watched Booth's face turn to thunder. "Did they catch this guy? Cos if they didn't I'd hunt him down and – "

"They arrested him."

"Good. Cos if anything happened to you…. I'd…. " Booth lowered his head as if the thought was too much to bear.

"Why are you so good to me Booth?" Brennan was suddenly hit by a wave of guilt, causing her to tear.

Booth gathered her into his arms, gently kissing her hair.

"I'm gonna let this one slide on account you had an accident and probably suffered a concussion. I love you Temperance. I always will. I told you that the night before I left. Nothing's gonna change that."

He pushed her gently back by her shoulders so that she could look him in the eyes.

"I, Seeley Booth am a one woman type of guy. And right now, and I hope for the rest of my life, that one woman's gonna be you. And before you freak out on me, this isn't a marriage proposal. All I'm saying is that I love you. And I want you to promise me, the next time anything like this happens? Promise me I'd be the first person you'd call."

The weight and magnitude of his words finally hit home, and the dam broke, causing her to break out in sobs. She was crying because she hadn't realized this earlier despite his constant promises and assurances, and as if words were insufficient by his actions as well. Crying because of the relief she felt that there was one person in the world who really cared about her, loved her and promised never to leave her. And most of all, crying because of the child they could have had, of the very thing that would have made this man the happiest in the whole world, and because of the immense guilt she had for wanting to take this away from him. The guilt was too much. She didn't feel as if she deserved him but she was too weak to push him away. Instead she did the opposite, burying herself in his arms, hoping the feel of him around her would wash her guilt away.

_Sorry for the angst, it's just part of this story. You know me, I love angst but I love fluff too :) TBC. _

_Clickity-click on that review button, let me know what you all think. _


	12. Chapter 12: Love in the Elevator

_Here's where it starts to differ from the show, not that this story was like the show on tv to begin with but here's where the facts get all jumbled up, so don't get confused. I always figured, Booth to be the younger brother, so I made Jared the older one in this fic, and you'll all get to meet the rest of the Booth family as the story progresses. _

_However I do make mention of significant events on the show. Used a couple of lines from EitB too if you can find them :)_

_To put things in perspective the chapter Brennan is writing takes place some time in early season 2 . _

Booth drove around for an hour, not knowing where to go. The internal turmoil inside continued to battle inside him. How could she? Didn't she know he loved her? Didn't she know he would have been there for her? How could she destroy a life when all they did was catch the people who took lives? Every thing they stood for, Brennan and Booth, the crime-fighting duo with the unbreakable close-rate on their cases, was it all just a lie? Didn't she believe in the sanctity of life?

And it wasn't just any life, it was their baby. A baby made, albeit by accident but out of love. The fact that he never got the chance to mourn the loss of who would have been their first child made it all harder to bear. And to think she had a hand in it. Booth felt as if she had dug his heart out of his chest with a spoon and handed it to him on a platter.

Guilt? How could she say that? Didn't she love him? All these years and after having their children, she stayed with him because she felt guilty? The thought that he had been played and that his love for her was not reciprocated in a manner that he thought it was made him feel sick. He fought the urge to throw up. She, was his life. And she kept this from him all these years, only to bring it up as if it was nothing but cheap dinner talk.

Booth realized he was on a familiar street. He had two options, check into a motel or swallow his pride and drive the couple more blocks where at least he would have a hot shower, and at least a comfortable bed. He had been sleeping in the cheap hotel the FBI put him up at in Delaware for the past week, so the thought of spending the night in a motel didn't exactly appeal to him.

Booth pulled up at his older brother's house at twenty past one in the morning. Linda would be mad, Jared would have some sarcastic remark but Jared was his big brother and would take him in anyway.

Booth took a breath before ringing the doorbell. Twice, three times, before the door flew open.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Yeah. Sorry man, but I kinda needed a place to crash for the night."

"Not everyone gets to wake the Head of Intelligence at the Pentagon at one in the morning unless it's a matter of national security."

"I know, I know, sorry. But I figured, you'd let your little brother spent the night in your guest room, regardless of your position in the Pentagon and the time."

Jared sighed. "Come on in."

Booth entered the house, now noticing his sister-in-law at the top of the stairs.

"Sorry Linda, didn't mean to wake you."

"It's ok, as long as it's not someone calling Jared away to work."

"What you and Temperance had a fight?"

Booth ran his hand through his hair, blowing out a breath. He didn't want to think about her or what she had revealed to him anymore and sure wasn't about to share it with Jared.

"Something like that. I just, I don't wanna talk about it right now."

"That serious huh? After all these years, you've never come here asking for – "

"Yeah, I get that Jared, it's a big deal alright?"

Jared chuckled. "I always thought it was me and Linda who had the rocky marriage, you and Temperance were always like… nothing you two couldn't work out."

"Look, Jared, I'm tired. I just got back from a trip, I just need to get a shower and some sleep."

"Ok, ok, you know where everything is. And you can borrow one of my suits for work tomorrow."

"Thanks man, I owe you one."

Back home Brennan had finally stemmed her flow of tears. After everything they've been through, this one little thing could drive him from her? Maybe he didn't care as much as she thought he did. They had their share of fights, and had gone through a rough patches in their marriage like all marriages did but they always worked things out. He walked away from her some times to clear his head, but he always came back.

She got the feeling he wasn't coming back this night. Compartmentalizing, one of her better abilities, she decided to carry on with her book, moving on to happier times in their past.

_Chapter 11 – Love in the Elevator_

"Thanks for agreeing to do this Bones."

"You're welcome, it's no trouble at all, I really want to meet your family."

"Wow, I don't know what's gotten into you lately, you've like changed or something. You're talking to me about marriage, kids, and wanting to meet my family… are you sure you're my Bones?"

"Of course I am." Brennan laughed nervously.

"All I'm saying meeting my family, it isn't exactly gonna be a walk in the park."

"If you're the worst of them, I don't see how I can't handle the rest of the Booths. Besides, you've been so good to me lately, re-connecting me with Russ and helping me with finding out about my mother, it's time I did something for you in return."

She wasn't exactly lying. In the months following her accident, Brennan had tried to convince Booth that she had somehow changed her mind and was willing to consider kids and even marriage now. Booth argued she got that in reverse and that she would have to marry him first. Truth was she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man. Before her accident, it would just be the two of them in the picture, but after the accident and miscarriage, she wanted to give him what he always wanted. The guilt of her almost abortion ate at her and she figured a baby would erase it all.

Then by serendipity, she found her mother's remains in limbo. Both her and Booth's attention was directed at finding out about her past, and time was spent coming to terms with this newfound information about herself. The fact that her parents were criminals didn't change Booth's mind about how he felt about her, and he even helped her forgive Russ. This only compounded her guilt at keeping the abortion/miscarriage issue from him.

Months passed and she managed to push the guilt into the deep recesses of her mind. When the opportunity to finally meet Booth's family presented itself, in the form of celebrating yet another of Jared Booth's promotions, she jumped at the opportunity. She knew family was important to Booth, so she wanted it to be important to her.

"Did you just insult me Bones?"

She laughed. Booth rolled his eyes, his hands moving to straighten his tie.

"You nervous?"

"No."

"Well I am. I mean you are important to me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but you know my parents are Catholic, I mean me too but they're like way more Catholic than I am."

"Then I'll do my best to be charming." Brennan smiled.

"Damn Bones, you know we're already running late, when you smile at me like that… and that dress you're wearing…."

Booth tugged at his tie, feeling it uncomfortably tight round his neck.

"Here, let me."

Brennan took a step towards him and suddenly the elevator they were in that was carrying them to their destination seemed all too small.

Her hand straightened, then smoothed his tie, running her hands appreciatively across his pectorials then down his taut abdominals, coming to rest on his cocky belt buckle.

"Bones." Booth groaned. "You keep this up, I'd need to do something to solve my little problem there."

Brennan eyed his erection through his pants, "I'd say it's more like a big problem."

Booth shut his eyes, trying to picture a set of gruesome remains. Her hands on him was making it difficult to do so.

"So not helping Bones."

Suddenly he felt the elevator lurch to a stop.

Booth's eyes snapped open. "What happened?"

"I pushed the emergency stop button."

"What? Why?"

"Because, you have an emergency."

Booth laughed. "Right, I do. Can't let me very Catholic parents see this."

"How do you propose we fix this?" Brennan asked with her most seductive grin.

Booth grabbed her roughly by the hips with both hands, pulling her flush against him. He kissed her hard, running a hand up the slit of her dress that rode all the way up her thighs.

"A dress like this should be illegal." He breathed into her mouth as his other hand moved to smooth the warm skin of her back.

"Mmmm… I thought you might like some sex after dinner tonight, so I dressed for the occasion."

"Nice, very nice."

"Since we're running late we'd better solve your problem real quick."

"My thoughts exactly Bones."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, Booth felt her hands remove his belt buckle, unzip his pants and drop them to the floor. Booth shrugged off his shoes and stepped out of his pants, freeing his raging erection from his boxers. He watched as Brennan licked her lips in anticipation and he almost felt like losing it right there. But he had to satisfy his beautiful partner, so he kept it together.

Booth moved in to press himself against her, using his hand to cushion her from the impact of him throwing her against the wall of the elevator. With one hand he moved to cup her right breast through the thin fabric of her dress, her nipple already erect and hard. He moved his lips to kiss her neck, making her moan in appreciation as his thumb flicked at her nipple. Moving his mouth he sucked at her other nipple, the sensation of his hot mouth and silken fabric against it making her buck her hips against him as a barely-controlled _Seeley_ left her lips.

"You ready for me babe?"

He let the word slip before he realized it. He expected all hell to break lose and for her to kick him hard in the balls but instead she moaned out a sexy, "All wet for you."

Brennan felt his lips crash forcefully onto hers. She felt his warm hand slide up her dress, bunching it above her waist as he yanked her panties down and tossed it to join the pile of clothes that consisted of his pants and boxers.

She felt his lips leave hers as he looked down to grab his cock to align himself at her entrance. His fingers brushed her fold, giving one hard pass over he clit, making her knees buckle.

He chuckled then moaned out, "Aww… I love when you do that," when she licked and nipped at a spot behind his ear that she knew drove him crazy with want for her.

With one swift movement, he lifted her right leg at the thigh, hooking it over his hip as he thrust into her, causing her breath to catch in her throat. His thrusts were hard and frantic, and soon some of his thrusts were hitting somewhere nice inside her.

"Do you love me?"

"I love you Temperance, I love you, I love you, I love you."

Sensing that he was close, she tightened her walls around him, causing him to swear in her ear, "Fuck Temperance, so tight, so good."

She tossed her head back, arching her hips towards him, allowing deeper penetration. Each stroke of his hit that sweet spot deep within.

"Ohhhh… you got it baby, yes, right there, don't stop."

Her hands clutched at the lapels of his shirt, clinging on for deal life. He felt her walls clench, knowing she was close but not close enough. At this rate he was going to come before her.

She felt his hand that was bracing them against the elevator wall move to where they were joined, then with to firm strokes of his thumb over her clit, she shattered, flinging her arms round his neck, biting out her cry of his given name into his shoulder. She felt him let out a groan as he exploded deep inside her, his breath hard and fast beside her as he rested his forehead against the wall.

Slowly he lowered her leg that was hooked on his hip to the ground, sliding out of her.

"That was…." She panted, trying to catch her breath.

"Amazing…. Every single time with you… amazing." He finished her sentence.

"Yes that."

"First time in an elevator."

"Really?"

"Yes. You mean, you've done this before?"

"I might have, sorry." Brennan offered Booth an apologetic look.

Booth chuckled. "I'm definitely changing my opinion about people with multiple PhDs."

"Did you call me babe?"

"Did you call me baby?"

"Don't get used to it, Seeley." Brennan retrieved her panties from the pile of clothes, tossing Booth's boxers and pants to him.

"Ditto."

"Oh no."

"What?"

"We can't meet your parents looking like this? I mean you've got lip-stick marks all over."

"You kidding? Your hair's a mess and you've got that _I just got thoroughly fucked by my boyfriend against the wall and hell ya it was good_ look on your face."

Satisfied that both were decent, Brennan pressed the emergency stop button again, making the elevator lurch and continue its ascent.

"We'll stop by the bathroom before we go into the restaurant." Booth smiled, pulling her with an arm slung round her shoulder towards him.

The elevator doors slid open.

"Seeley?"

"Sam."

"No wonder you're late, you guys had a quickie in the car?"

Booth blushed. "Shhh… Mom and Dad will hear."

"Booth?"

"Umm yeah, this is my kid sister Samantha. Sam, meet my girlfriend and partner, Dr Temperance Brennan."

"Nice to meet you." Brennan stretched her hand.

"Nice to meet you too." Sam took Brennan's outstretched hand. "Seeley was right, you are beautiful."

"Thank you."

"No wonder he want to jump you every chance he gets."

"Sam!"

"Booth talked to you about me?"

"Yeah, but we have time to go into that later. I think you two need to go straighten out some clothes."

"Yeah, we do. Come on Bones, let's go get cleaned up and get this show on the road."

_Just so you guys know, it isn't easy switching from the older BB to the younger BB in each chapter, almost like writing two stories in one chapter. So I'm always glad to know what you guys think of what I wrote. _

_And umm… yeah I'll fix BB soon, I mean the older BB, the younger pair are having the time of their lives! lol_


	13. Chapter 13: Meet the Booths

_**Hey I got his chapter up like I said I would! **_

_**Thanks all for your reviews. A few of you were pretty hard on my poor Booth. Well, not exactly mine but I'd like to imagine he's mine :) **_

_**Booth has his reasons for reacting like that you'll just have to read on…**_

Brennan woke in the morning with a raging headache. She realized she had fallen asleep on the couch, waiting for Booth to some back. She wished he had given her a chance to explain things. She eyed her cellphone, toying with the thought of calling him. This was all her fault, if she had been honest with him from the start this wouldn't have happened.

When they were starting out as a couple, things were slightly different. The odds were against them, but together they had fought through it all. If she told him then, perhaps he would have forgiven her. Now so many years later, when they were now semi-partners, with her given up her full-time job at the Jeffersonian, she couldn't' help but think that perhaps work was the glue that held them together. The center as Booth had put it during their Gormagon case. Now things felt irreparable and it was all her fault. A part of her was glad the kids were all grown and if things didn't work out now between her and Booth then it would not affect them as much.

Brennan sighed. Perhaps she was a fool to believe that things would not change. She shouldn't have doubted the law of entropy. She still had her book to write and her editor, after reading the first few chapters liked it so much, had demanded more chapters from her in a short span of time. It wasn't an unreasonable deadline, her big serial killer case with Booth had been just resolved and she doubted she'd get called back for another consult soon, so all she had was time to work on her book.

She was never one to sit around and mope, so rather than mull over things between her and her husband, she decided she would be productive and write another chapter before going to the lab to work on ID-ing remains in limbo.

Brennan washed her face and made herself a cup of coffee. Any hope that Booth had returned to spend the night in their guest room was dashed when she found no evidence that he had been home. Sighing she sipped her coffee, opened her laptop and typed out her next chapter, the chapter when she first met her in-laws.

_Chapter 12 – Meet the Booths_

Fifteen minutes after they had went to the bathroom to erase any evidence of their wild tryst in the elevator, Booth and Brennan strode hand-in-hand to the table at the corner of the posh restaurant in uptown DC.

"Glad you finally decided to grace us with your presence." The older man whom Brennan assumed to be Booth's father spoke as they approached. She spotted their similarities in facial features immediately.

Booth squirmed uncomfortably. "Sorry, traffic."

"And who is this lovely young lady?" The woman, presumable Booth's mother spoke.

Booth puffed his chest, as if showing an award he had won at school. "Everyone, this is my girlfriend and partner, Dr Temperance Brennan."

"Nice to meet you Dr Brennan."

"Temperance."

The older woman stood to shake Brennan's hand. "You can call me Felicia, my husband Michael."

"This is my big brother Jared," Brennan shook a man with a crew cut top, "the reason why we're all here tonight. His wife Linda. You met Sam, and umm…"

"My boyfriend Eric. Eric, my brother Seeley and his girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you," Booth shook the hand of his sister's boyfriend with a firm grip. "You be nice to her now, I'm FBI."

"Seeley!"

"You kids gonna sit so we can eat?"

Brennan thought she noticed Booth wince, then pull out a chair for her to sit before taking the seat next to her.

"I propose a toast, to my son Jared… the pride of us all." Michael held up his glass of wine.

"So tell me Temperance, what exactly do you do?"

"I'm a forensic anthropologist, I specialize in identifying remains, bones which are otherwise unrecognizable. I work at the Jeffersonian Institute, with the FBI, in this case Booth, I mean Seeley."

"Right and Bones and I have the best close-rated in the FBI."

"Bones…" Sam laughed, that's a good one.

Michael huffed. "I think Seeley would make better use of his sniper training, fighting for our country rather than use his talent with a gun being a local cop."

"I'm not some local cop."

"Secret service, now that I get, but FBI homicide division…"

"Michael…" Felicia nodded sympathetically at Brennan. "You must excuse him, he's had a few drinks too many tonight."

"And how is my dear grandson Parker?"

"He's doing fine Mom." Booth answered, hoping his mother wouldn't start.

"Randy topped his class in his Math quiz, and Hannah won first prize at the singing competition last week." Linda Booth updated then others on her children's latest achievements.

"Doing well just like their father." Jared grinned throwing an arm round his wife's shoulder.

"Yeah well, Parker he's four, he just wants to have fun, and Bones here is a good influence on him."

"Yes, unlike you." Michael spat. "You know Temperance, my father was a pilot with the Airforce, so was I. But like some sick joke none of my sons are following my footsteps. Jared goes off to join the Navy, and Seeley, he decides on the Army."

"Both your sons are doing very well. You should be very proud of them."

"Jared, yes. As for Seeley, he shouldn't' have got himself discharged from the Army, he came back with so much crap, you know with the gambling and all, and then he got Parker out of wedlock, it's not right you know. At least Jared had the decency to get married before he gave us two grandchildren. Don't think Seeley's gonna amount to much in his lifetime. Thank God I got two sons."

"Dad," Sam tried steering the conversation away. "We shouldn't be talking about Seeley here."

"Yes, yes, sorry tonight's about Jared."

"Are you thinking of marrying Seeley, Temperance? He hasn't asked you has he? Can't imagine you'd agree to it. Rebecca didn't."

"No, he hasn't but I suspect the reason he hasn't is because he knows I don't believe in marriage."

"Don't believe in marriage?"

"Not to say if he asked me – "

"What kind of woman are you? What kind of morals did your parents teach you? You're living in sin with my son with no intention of marrying him?"

"I never said I had no intention – "

"Alright, you know what, you guys want to carry on with your Seeley-bashing, that's fine by me, but leave Bones and her parents out of this ok?"

"I grew up in foster care, my parents were criminals, my teenage years were spent without – "

Felicia Booth's hand flew to her chest, as if shocked. "Criminals?"

Michael laughed, "I must say son, you sure know how to pick them. How long before you knock this one up to?"

"Alright, this is ridiculous! I can put up with this cos I'm your son, and I've put up with this all my life, but Bones, she doesn't deserve this."

Booth stood, taking Brennan's hand. "Let's go Bones. We shouldn't have wasted our time here tonight."

He cast an apologetic look at Jared and Linda. "Sorry Jared, didn't mean to ruin this for ya, you understand, I'll come over bring you some gift in a couple of days." He turned to his sister, "Call me Sam, before you go home to Chicago?"

Booth hurried out of the restaurant with Brennan, tugging her along, practically shoving her into the passenger side of his SUV before driving off.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that Bones. I told you my parents can be total idiots."

"It's ok Booth. You did warn me before-hand. I just didn't realize – "

"Didn't realize that I'm such a loser? Yeah they got that right."

"No Booth, _you_ got that wrong. If you'd let me stay long enough I would have spoke up for you. You're not a loser, I don't think you're a loser and I'd kick the ass of anyone who thinks so, your parents included."

Despite his anger, Booth laughed. "That I gotta see."

"I can't imagine you growing up with your parents harping constant criticism on you."

"Yeah well you know, Jared was, still is a high-achiever. He was always a tough act to follow. My Dad, he always wanted me to be like or better Jared. I never could. I joined the Army just to annoy my Dad. I just never had the brains or skill or whatever it is to match my big brother."

"That's not true. You're generous and warm and caring, and you can read people. It's a gift. You've got such a big heart, and you put murderers away. You make this place safer. I remember when we were in New Orleans, you said some people they kill other human beings and they dump them in the sea, bury them somewhere and think they can get away with it, but we make it impossible for them to do so. We, what we do is important, and _you_ mean something Booth."

Booth turned his head to look at Brennan, grinning from ear to ear. "Gee, you remembered Bones. And all that you said, coming from you, it means the world to me. Thanks."

"If all parents are like that, then maybe I was fortunate not to have mine around, although foster parents weren't all that pleasant either."

"I'm sorry Bones."

"For what? It wasn't your fault my parents abandoned me."

"I just wish you had it easier."

"I wish we both had it easier."

"My parents aren't complete jerks all the time. Jared isn't half-bad if he wasn't so good at everything he did. It just was always so easy for him, not me, I had to work hard to get to where he got. And Sam, she's so sweet, she's a good kid, I could always talk to her, you know Jared is older than me by three years and I never felt as close to him as much as I do to Sam, although she's a whole six years younger."

"Maybe when your father's not drunk I'd form a better opinion of him."

"Next time? You want to meet them again after tonight?"

"Why not?"

Thanks Bones." Booth smiled. "But I don't think so."

"Tonight wasn't exactly a waste. We had sex in the elevator."

"Best part of the night Bones, best part of the night."

_**I know you guys wanted me to fix older BB but sorry it'll have to wait a little while longer.**_

_**Reviews, baby reviews.**_


	14. Chapter 14: Marry Me

_**Been working and re-working this chapter, hope you all like it.**_

Booth sat at his desk in his office at the Hoover Building, tossing a baseball up into the air and catching it with one hand. He was upset, upset at himself and his wife. He felt like an idiot, maybe he had over-reacted. But it didn't mean he was no longer sore about what she had told him. After two nights in Jared's guest room, he felt ready to crawl back to the one woman whom he loved and beg for forgiveness.

He noticed movement outside his office. Through the glass that separated his office from the rest of the junior agents, he saw the woman who made his heat flip. He watched with a feeling of protectiveness as the younger agents turned their heads as she walked past, some openly appraising the fine specimen of woman that he knew was marching her way to his office. She was sexy when angry, he didn't need the other agents to tell him that and he made a mental note to have a word with Agent Young who was openly gawking. Didn't he know she was taken?

The door to his office flew open and she marched in. The look of anger and determination on her face… she reminded him so much of her mother. She stopped in front of his desk, opened her mouth and Booth knew he was in for it.

"Agent Booth!"

Booth stood up, holding up his index finger, warning her to be quiet. He walked briskly over to close the office door, wanting some privacy.

Spinning round he wagged his finger in her face, "Don't Agent Booth me young lady."

"What did you do to her?"

"She called you?"

"No. I called her about a case I'm trying, wanted to get some advice, but from the sound of voice I knew she was crying. When I asked for you, she said you were away on a case, and I know that's bullshit, cos' I can always tell when people are lying."

Booth shook his head and chuckled. He didn't know if he should be happy or feel downright annoyed. She was his daughter alright. Right down to the fact that she inherited his now famous "gut". She great at reading people. That together with the genius brains she had inherited from her mother, she was fast becoming DC's youngest rising prosecutors in the justice system.

"Look Dad, there're only a few people who can make Mom upset like that and since I know it's not us, it's gotta be you. So what did you do to my mother?"

"Sweetie…. " he didn't want to tell her the reason why, not when he hadn't talked it out with Brennan first. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"It's complicated ok?"

"Yeah that's the answer we always get when you guys fight. I'm not a little kid anymore."

"I get that Rachel, it's just, I need to work this out with your mother ok? When we're done, we'll tell you guys alright?"

He tensed at the memory of what she had told him. He wanted badly to be with his wife again, but there were things to work out first.

"I hate that you made her cry."

"What you think I'm proud of myself for doing it? I was a jerk ok? Not everyday you hear your old man admit that he's one, but I'm an asshole alright? And right now I'm thinking about how I can go crawling back to her and beg for her forgiveness."

Rachel Booth's eyes grew wide. "Wait, you didn't…. tell me you didn't… no way… you – "

"Whoa, Rach, before you go there, I did not and could never cheat on your mother ok?"

"Then I'd say she's just about feeling as sorry as you are. I know you two. No point playing the blame game here, you both are right now trying to take the blame for this fight you're having. This is stupid ok?"

Rachel picked up the receiver to the phone on her father's desk.

"Here, just call her. She's probably burying herself in some remains in limbo. You know the number."

Booth gave Rachel a crooked smile. He took the receiver from her hand.

"I'd go now, leave you two to talk."

"Hey Rach!"

"You're welcome Dad!"

"That too but I was going to say, when are you dropping by the house again?"

"Not tonight. Tonight, you and Mom are probably going to have some hot make-up sex, and I don't want to be there to see it, so maybe Friday?"

"Talking to Auntie Angela alot lately, haven't you?"

Rachel smiled and shrugged. Booth could easily understand why she had so many suitors which kept him amply busy during her teenage years. She was beautiful, just like her mother.

"Hey bring Agent Sorenson round when you come by ok?"

"Why Dad? So you can scare him away like you do all my boyfriends?"

"Nate's a good man. I like him. I won't scare him away, I promise."

"Ok only if you promise you won't start your _I'm your supervising agent, and you report to me_ crap again."

"I promise sweetie."

"Ok. Now make the call or do I have to punch those numbers for you?"

After Rachel left, Booth placed the phone receiver back on the cradle. He thought of something better, he knew it would be better to talk in person.

In the Jeffersonian, Brennan was busy losing herself in her work as her daughter had predicted. She had continued on her book, all the while trying to think up an excuse to call Booth and offer an apology.

_Chapter 13 – Marry Me_

Brennan had barely settled on the couch with a forensic journal when the doorbell rang. It was close to midnight. She wondered if it was her brother. Booth had always warned her about answering the door at this hour but she could hear the shower running, and she didn't want to interrupt him.

Warily she looked through the peephole, opening the door only when she recognized the person at the door.

"Hi Temperance. I apologize. It's late."

"No, Sam, it's ok, we're not asleep. How did you find out where I live?"

"You said you worked at the Jeffersonian, I called asking about where my brother lived, sorry. I should have called, but I was worried about Seeley."

"No, it's ok. Come on in."

"Are you ok?"

"Yes."

"Is he?"

"I think so. He's in the shower."

"My boyfriend's waiting downstairs so I'll just cut to the chase. I think you're great for my brother. He told me so much about you, he's crazy about you."

"Really?"

"He told me he's so lucky to have you want to stick around him."

"I can't blame him for having a low self-esteem after how your parents treated him all his life."

"Yeah, they always compared Jared and Seeley to each other. Dad thought it was healthy competition. Seeley could never better Jared, no matter how hard he tried. I think somewhere along the way, he just gave up and started believing he'd never be good enough. But I gotta tell you, Seeley is the better older brother."

"I'm not surprised."

"He was always around to give me a listening ear, and I knew I could always go to him if I was in trouble. In the same way, he'd talk to me, before he left for the Army. When he came back, it was like he changed, I'm just glad he found a new calling with the FBI and now you."

"I'm glad we're working together too."

"That thing you said about not getting married, you now we're Catholic right, and Mom and Dad mind a whole lot what you're doing with Seeley."

"You mean living together?"

"Yes. That and the fact that he probably knows he's gonna have an eternity of suffering in the afterworld cos of what you both are doing. You know the living together, having sex and not being married part."

"I don't believe in all that."

"Yeah but he does."

"Sam, what are you doing here?"

Booth had apparently finished his bath, walking into the kitchen with a towel round his waist.

"Sorry I had no idea. I thought, I just wanted to check to see if you were ok, after tonight. I'll leave you two alone now." Sam laughed.

"Huh? Oh, no, we weren't going to …" he glanced at Brennan. "Were we?"

"Maybe, but you should talk to your sister first."

"No, I just wanted to see if you're ok. Now that I know you have Temperance, I know I had nothing to worry about."

"Hey Sam…. It's late. Let me give you a ride to your hotel."

"Eric's waiting for me downstairs."

"Oh, ok. Look if he breaks your heart… "

"I know, you told him, you're FBI, you'll break his legs whatever."

Sam rolled her eyes at Brennan. "He was always so protective over me, it's a wonder I had any boyfriends, good thing he was away at college when I started high school."

Sam walked up to take Booth's hand. "Come on big brother, walk me to the door."

Brennan was left alone to mull over the things that were said. Booth had done so much, sacrificed his beliefs just to be with her. She had to do something for him in return. She wanted him to be happy. Was this love?

When Booth returned, he was smiling. "Were you girls were talking about me?"

"We only had good things to say about you."

"That's good." Booth wrapped his arms round her waist, pulling his hips flush against hers.

"I want a baby Booth."

"What?"

"I said I want a baby. I told you this before. But then the thing with my parents and Russ came up, we had to shelve this but now, we can try for a baby again."

"What? No."

"No?"

"I mean, not no, no, but why the sudden change?"

"I just thought that you know we love each other, so we should have a baby together, isn't that what people in love do?"

"Well, yeah. Wait did, you just tell me you love me?"

A smile formed on her lips. "I believe that I did."

Booth chuckled. "I love you too."

"So we'll have a baby?"

"Don't you think this is a little too fast for us? I mean, when we started going out, you said no baby, no marriage."

"I changed my mind."

"We've been together a little more than a year."

"Can't I change my mind?"

"Yes, but – "

"I know you think two people should be married before they have a child together, but you had Parker."

"Parker was an accident. A good accident but – "

"Marry me then."

"What?"

"I said I want to marry you."

"It's kinda sudden Bones."

"What happened to spontaneity?"

"I don't think marriage should be something spontaneous, it should be planned and well thought out."

"So you don't want to marry me?"

"Did Sam say something to you?"

"She just talked about your childhood, and your beliefs as a Catholic."

"Look I know you Bones, I believe you can change your mind, but if I read you right, then you have some deep underlying reason for this."

Brennan panicked. Did Booth know about the miscarriage? That was months ago, how'd he find out? Right now she wasn't so sure that was the main reason she wanted a marriage and a child with him anymore.

"It's my parents isn't it? You want to prove to them that I can do something right. You want to show them that you will marry me and start a family with me. You want to show them that they're wrong about us."

"No, that's not the reason. We're already living together, marriage is just a piece of paper changing our legal status to each other."

"Thanks Bones, I appreciate the sentiment, but no, I don't want you to marry me out of pity or to prove some point to my parents alright?"

"I'm not marrying for the said reasons."

"Bones, come on. Forget it ok?" He took her hand leading her to the bedroom.

"You don't want to marry me?"

"Of course I want to marry you Bones, I just don't want you to rush into it for the wrong reasons ok? Look, it's been a long night, we'll talk about this some other time."

He sat her on the bed, before discarding the towel round his waist, lowering himself onto her, erasing whatever argument she had formed in her head with his lips on hers.

_**Thanks again for all your reviews.**_


	15. Chapter 15: Gravedigger

_**Sorry, I've been busy and recovering from the flu. But I'm back. Here's another chapter. **_

_**Reference is made in this chapter to Aliens in the Spaceship.**_

Brennan was hunched over a set of remains in limbo, certain that she had found distinct markings that suggested that this set of bones dated back to the Civil War. She was in her element, doing what she loved and did best.

A knock on the door didn't make her look up. Probably one of the younger interns would had heard she was in today, wanting to talk to her. She had become somewhat of a legend at the Jeffersonian.

The knocking was followed by a distinct clearing of someone's throat. Brennan froze. She'd recognize that sound anywhere. She looked up, skull still in her hands.

"Bones."

A part of her heart soared, she thought he would not be the one to make the first move. Earlier she had contemplated calling Angela on vacation to ask how she should try to get Booth to talk to her again. The other part of her grew angry. Sure she had kept a secret from him, but she didn't think she deserved him pulling a disappearing act on her for two days.

"Can I come in?"

"Suit yourself."

Booth took slow steps towards her, as if treading on thin ice. He held out the hand that was hidden behind his back, producing a bouquet of daffodils. He had decided that talking to her in person would be better than a phonecall.

"Peace offering?"

Brennan accepted the flowers without giving Booth any hint of emotion, placing the skull back on the metal tray and taking the bouquet from his outstretched hand.

"We need to talk." She said,

He nodded.

"We'll talk in my office."

_Chapter 14 – Gravedigger_

Brennan heard a loud bang, half-expecting to see blue skies above them when she opened her eyes. Instead she started to cough and choke. Soil and gravel came tumbling into the car. This was it she knew she was going to die. It wouldn't be long before the car filled up with the dirt that would enter her airways, suffocating her.

It was getting harder to breathe. She closed her eyes, feeling dizzy from the lack of oxygen. Anytime now, anytime now and she'd feel the dirt above her shift, feel a hand close round her wrist, tugging so hard she'd be sure her arm would get dislocated.

Only the hand never came, and all she felt was more and more dizzy. She choked and coughed, sucking in gulps of air that wasn't there.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open, and she bolted upright, dislodging Booth's arm that was round her and waking him in the process. She sat up in bed, gasping for breath.

"Bones," she felt Booth's arm snake round her shoulders pulling her to him for a hug. "It's ok, only a dream. It's over."

Brennan buried her face in his chest, feeling his soothing words and comforting touch, trying to bring her ragged breathing under control.

"Second night in a row Bones. You think, maybe you wanna talk to somebody about this?"

"No." she replied softly.

"We'd catch him someday, we will I promise."

She nodded silently. It had been three days since she had been taken by the Gravedigger, three days since she thought she was going to die.

"You're drenched in sweat. I'm gonna run you a bath ok? Get cleaned up."

Brennan wasn't one of those women who meekly submitted to her man but his suggestion was good and she allowed him to pamper her, run her a bath, waiting patiently by the tub until she was done.

An hour later, at 5am in the morning, he poured her a fresh cup of coffee. Sitting down beside her on the couch with his own cup of coffee.

She handed him a piece of paper.

_To my dearest Booth, my partner and my lover, my best friend. If you're reading this it means I'm dead. Please don't blame yourself, I know you would have tried your best to find me. This isn't your fault. Thank you for loving me. I love you too, Bones._

Booth turned to her, his brown eyes glistening. "I'm sorry you thought you were going to die Bones. I should have given you a ride to karate class."

"Then the gravedigger would probably have gotten the both of us, and since you'd have been kidnapped, we probably both be dead now."

Booth smiled. "Thanks Bones, for your faith in me."

"Not faith Booth. Like I told Hodgins, I've seen what you can do, and I knew you'd save us."

"The thought of losing you – " Booth choked on his words, biting his lower lip. "If you died, I don't think I could have carried on either."

"You'd have to. You have Parker."

"I don't want to ever lose you again."

He held up a finger, "One second Bones."

Booth disappeared into the bedroom, appearing shortly after with a small box. He handed it wordlessly to her.

Opening it, Brennan smiled as she saw a diamond ring inside. Booth had got down on one knee.

"Temperance Brennan, will you be my wife?"

"I thought you said you didn't want us to rush into marriage?"

"Yeah well life's too short not to rush. Anyway it's been almost a year."

"You thought about it."

"Yeah, I tried to figure out why you'd change your mind about wanting to marry me, but right now I don't care. I know I love you, and you love me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"You went and bought a ring?"

"Yeah I was just waiting for the right time to do this, but I figured there is no right time. I always thought we had to be ready. I was nervous. When I asked Rebecca to marry me, she turned me down. Guess the Gravedigger made me feel like I shouldn't waste anymore time worrying or being scared you'd say no. So, marry me Bones?"

"Yes. Now get up."

Booth grinned his charm smile. He got up and sat on the couch, scooting close to her and watching her try the ring.

"It fits."

"I love you Bones."

"I love you too Booth." She murmured against his lips as he cupped her face for a deep, long kiss.

She was relieved. Relieved that they were going to get married, hopeful they'd have a baby. She'd make it all up to him, for the miscarriage, for not trusting in him. She should have known better, she trusted he would save her from the Gravedigger and he did. She should have trusted him to come back to her. And, she told herself, if she were to be completely honest with herself, this was the one man whom would never leave her.

Booth believed in love and Booth believed in them. It didn't matter if love was just chemicals and endorphins signaling in her brain. When she told him she loved him, she was simply acknowledging the flood of hormones and endorphins released by good sex and the proper stimulus, and the acknowledgement of never wanting to leave this man again.

Brennan always followed her head. This time would be no different. Somewhere deep in the recesses of her mind, she was yet to realize she loved him, like her heart told her she did. But where her heart was, her mind was still miles away yet to catch up with the fact that what they had was more than the right mix of chemicals and endorphins in her brain. Maybe one day her head would catch up with her heart, but for now, it was enough.


	16. Chapter 16: Family

_**Again many apologies for the long wait between chapters. Life's getting really busy. Thank you to all who faithfully reviewed. **_

Brennan closed the door to her office behind them as they entered, placing the bouquet of flowers on her desk. Booth looked nervous, unsettled. This would be a first. Her office was like their second home. A place they had spent hours, pouring over cases or talking about their lives or their children's lives. She nodded towards the couch.

Booth sat on it, not leaning back and relaxing like he always did but sitting forward, elbows resting on his knees, tense. She took the space beside him, unsure where this conversation would lead them.

"I'm sorry Bones."

She felt some measure of relief. But she felt as if she should be the one apologizing.

"No I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept it from you for so many years."

"See it makes perfect sense after thinking it over sleepless nights at Jared's, that at that time you would do something like that."

Brennan grew frustrated again.

"I didn't do anything Booth. I had a miscarriage."

"You were on your way to the abortion clinic. The accident just did what you were going to do anyway, just gave it a little more sugar-coating."

She gasped. "And you're here to apologize?"

Booth clenched his fists. He didn't come here to start another fight.

"Back then, if you told me, I would probably have been mad, like I was the other night, but what hurts the most, is that you could smile and pretend like it never happened for so many years. I was a fool."

"I never lied to you Booth, about anything."

"Oh yeah? What about this?"

"This is different. It wasn't a lie."

Booth sighed, blowing out a breath. This wasn't going as he had planned.

"What I gotta know Bones, is that when I asked you to marry me, did you do it because you love me?"

"I initially wanted to marry you, to have a child with you because of the one I lost, because you were so good to me, and I wanted to give you something in return. And yes I did love marry you because I loved you, although admittedly my concept of love then was very different from what I understand it to be now."

"So what then? Guilt?"

"Maybe, partially." Brennan placed a hand on Booth's arm, much like that day in Arlington so many years ago when he told her about how he, as a sniper had taken a man's life in front of his son.

"All I know is I have loved every single day I have been married to you."

Booth turned his head, searching her eyes for sincerity. But his Bones never lied. That fact he knew. He bowed his head, placing an hand over hers, rubbing her knuckles lightly.

"I can't do without you Bones, just can't. But that baby, was a part of you and me, a miracle we created. It hurts to think you wanted to destroy that."

"Did it occur to you that I might have changed my mind at the last minute? I guess we'll never get a chance to find out cos the choice was made for me the minute that truck hit my car."

"You were on your way to get an abortion!"

Brennan rolled her eyes. Didn't he just use this same line on her? Two could play at this game.

"I wasn't sure if you were coming back!"

"I told you I was. A little trust would have been nice."

"You were with Parker and Rebecca."

"I – "

Booth's phone rang. He stood, walking away from her to take the call.

"Booth….. what? Alright I'd be right there."

He turned to look at Brennan, who was still sitting on the couch.

"Lockler's claiming he killed more people than we know. Wants to cut a deal, show us where the other remains are."

"The serial killer case."

"Yeah. I'm the lead in the case, I gotta – "

"Go. I understand."

_Chapter 15 – Family_

She watched helplessly as her father and brother drove away from her life again. Booth ran towards her, and together, they watched the truck drive off.

"I wasn't gonna chase them." Booth groaned at the state of Caroline Julian's car.

Brennan sank back on the park bench, dejected. Booth sat next to her, not making any attempt to uncuff her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, relieved that whoever was after Russ and Bones hadn't got to her.

"I'm sorry Bones."

"I can't believe I let an old man get the upper hand on me."

"It happens."

Brennan shook her head. "I should've known. Russ knew."

"Yeah well your Dad probably knows you better than you think he does. He knew you'd call the cops on him. He wanted to have some time with you, he did tell you eventually."

"He knew I'd call you."

Booth nodded to the handcuffs. "Sorry should've given you the key."

He uncuffed Brennan, then sat back down next to her.

"You ok?"

"I think so." She blinked back tears. "I should have recognized him the minute I saw him."

"It's been a long time Bones. He's taken on a brand new identity."

"My father and brother are fugitives now. My entire family's made up of criminals."

"I don't mind, if that's what you mean."

"You family does."

"I don't care Bones."

Brennan sighed. She had thought that once she found her father, things would become clearer. Now she felt even more conflicted. Seeing them drive away brought back unpleasant memories of Russ driving off without her when she was a teenager.

"I guess, I'm just one of those people who doesn't get to have a family."

"Hey, I've got family, and it's not like I had a good life."

Booth tilted her head to him with a finger to her chin.

"Doesn't matter now alright Bones? You and me, we're family. That's all that matters."

Rebecca dropped Parker off later that afternoon, at the diner while they celebrated Zach's doctorate,

Booth and Brennan shared a quiet moment with Parker, the little boy perched on his father's lap.

"Hey Parker, Bones and I have something to tell you."

"What?"

Brennan looked up. Booth gave her his best _trust me_ look.

"What would you say if I told you Bones and I are getting married?"

"Does this mean I'm getting a brother or sister?"

"Why would you ask that?" Booth lowered his head to look at his son.

"Cos that's what grown-ups do, get married and have babies."

"Yes, I imagine, your father and I would be having a baby."

Booth frowned, unsure if it was a good idea to spring all this on Parker at one go.

"Ok." Parker shrugged.

"Ok?" Brennan raised her eyebrows..

"Yeah ok Bones. I can still call you Bones right?"

"Yes, of course."

Booth grinned. He folded his rams across his chest and sat back.

"Does this mean we're going to be a family?" Parker asked as he chewed on his fries.

Booth's smile got wider.

"Yes, Parker, I believe we are." Brennan replied, a smile forming on her face.

"Cool, I can tell everyone at school my stepmom's job is to look at gross dead people."

Booth laughed, holding his hands up in the air. "Can't fight a four year-old's logic."

_**You know how I love reviews, so please review!**_


	17. Chapter 17: Jealousy

_**To everyone who's sticking with this story, and who reviewed, thanks! **_

For the third night in a row Booth didn't come home. He did come home late Friday afternoon. Opening the front door to their house, he found Brennan sitting on the couch, her legs tucked under her, her nose deep in a book she was reading. Soft jazz music played in the background.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course, it's your home." Brennan barely looked up from her book.

Booth sat down slowly next to his wife.

"I'm sorry about yesterday."

"The Lockler case. How'd it go?"

"Guy's defense attorney Roger Hayman would do anything to stall the inevitable."

"Roger Hayman? Kurt's in for a tough fight," Brennan remarked, referring to Kurt Owens, the prosecuting DA who had worked with the both of them on numerous cases since Caroline Julian retired.

"Kurt's the man for the job. And, I told him no deal. Told him our squints would be able to find the other bodies."

Brennan grinned. Booth felt a tug at his heart.

"We need to talk about us."

Brennan nodded, placing her book on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry I over-reacted – "

"No I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept something like that from you."

Booth shook his head. "Just hear me out alright Bones?"

"Ok."

"I took the news badly. When you told me you were going to get an abortion, I felt like you were telling me you're going for one now."

"That would be impossible Booth. You know I've reached menoupause."

"You're doing this on purpose Bones."

Another smile from his wife, serving as yet another a reminder as to how much he missed her.

"It hurt Bones, to know that you didn't trust me enough to tell me. But you know me better than I give you credit for. You knew I'd talk you out of it. And I should have given you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you' would have changed your mind. Bottom line I put you in that position. If I hadn't gone off with Rebecca, maybe things would have been different."

"It's not your fault Booth. If I knew back then what I know now…. Now that I know what it's like to have children, you, a family, I probably would have decided different. I hurt you Booth, I'm sorry."

Brennan placed a hand on Booth thigh, giving a gentle squeeze.

"It's ok. I shouldn't have over-reacted. First time we had a fight and I didn't come home.I promised I'd never walk away."

"After all these years… for a moment, I thought perhaps it would have been the end for us."

"Bones – "

"But I know better, knew you'd come back."

Booth's turn to smile.

"Whatever happened so many years ago, I wish you'd not kept it to yourself. The fact that you hid it, if you'd come right out and told me…"

"Like I said Booth, I know better now."

"You shouldn't have had to go through the miscarriage alone."

"At the time, I guess I wasn't as affected as you would have thought I'd be, although, it did make me want to have another child with you."

"So when you married me…"

"It wasn't solely because I felt guilty."

"I believe you Bones."

A moment of silence, then Booth took her hand, smoothing her knuckles with his calloused fingers.

"Let's just put this behind us ok?"

"Ok. And again, I'm sorry."

Booth brought her hand to his lips, placing a feather light kiss on the back of her hand.

"Are we ok Booth?"

"We always are Bones."

_Chapter 16 – Jealousy_

"You gave Sully a black eye." Brennan strode into Booth's office. Angry.

"Hell yeah I did."

"Why?"

"Cos, I had to let everyone know you're off limits."

"I'm not some piece of property you own Booth."

"I know, but you're hot. You seen how some of the other agents look at you?"

"I hate when you act like some Neanderthal."

Booth smirked. "At least I didn't throw you over my shoulder and take you back to my cave."

"I'm not interested in the other agents. Besides," she waved the engagement ring on her finger in front of him, "everyone knows we're engaged to be married."

"Which is what makes what you did worse!"

"It was just a basketball game Booth."

"A date Bones, it was a date."

"It wasn't a date – "

"Yes it was, you went out, with him, just the two of you. You went to watch him play basketball! And you've never even come to watch me play hockey before."

"That's because you never asked me."

"Well I got a game tomorrow night, would you like to come?"

"Yes, very much."

"Great. But what you did Bones, by going to watch Sully play ball, you're sending out mixed signals. Everyone knows we're getting married. What you did makes what we have look… well weak."

"What we have isn't weak."

"I know Bones, I know, but I gotta wonder, couple of months before our wedding, and you pull this… you're not getting cold feet are you?"

"My feet aren't cold."

"No I meant, you're not getting second thoughts are you?"

"No, I do want to marry you."

"Good cos for a minute, I thought – "

"I'm sorry Booth, I merely thought that it is customary for partners to go out to celebrate after closing a case. For us, it's dinner or beer, and I thought for Sully it was going to his basketball game."

"You know what? I really believe you, only because it came form you. But see where doing that got us?"

"I see. I'm sorry I made you feel threatened."

"I wasn't threatened. Maybe jealous."

Brennan smiled, walking to close the distance between them. Her hands ran up and down the lapels of his jacket.

"You have nothing to be jealous about. You're the only man I want to commit to a serious, monogamous sexual relationship with."

Booth smiled. "Thanks Bones."

"You know, this is all your fault. If you hadn't shot that clown – "

"Hey I'm already seeing Gordon Gordon ok?"

"I know, all I'm saying is that if you hadn't lost your temper – "

"Yeah, yeah Bones, my fault, always my fault,"

_**Reviews guys, reviews. Methinks, you guys have been kind of stingy on it lately…. **_


	18. Chapter 18: Wedding Blues

_**I'm mixing things up a little now in the AU. BB are getting married instead of Angela and Hodgins at the end of season 2. And I can tell most of you love Rachel Booth, like I do, so here's more of her.**_

_**To all those who reviewed and told me how much they loved the previous chapter, thank you very much, you made me a very happy fic writer. **_

It had been almost a month since, and the tension was about to explode. She wasn't in the mood for slow and steady, and going by the way he was attacking her mouth with his, she was sure he wasn't either. They had gone from, working things out and making up for the fight they had, to admitting to missing each other, physically and emotionally, to now trying to burn off pent up urges that hadn't had the chance to be relieved for, in her opinion, too long.

Clothes were becoming a barrier and he tore at her tee, slipping it off. He moved a hand under to unsnap her bra. She pulled off his shirt, and was busy nipping and sucking at his neck while he fondled her breasts and pinched her already hard nipples. Who said married sex was boring? Who said growing old dampened libido? If anything with their kids all grown and having moved out, sex was better. Anywhere in the house, anytime.

One could say it had become a fine art after so many years of being practiced and experimented on. A technique fine-tuned to each others' liking, sex was better than good. They both knew where to touch and kiss to make the other pant for more, and knew how to pleasure each other to no end.

She smirked against his lips as she felt him buck his hips against her, pressing himself impossibly closer to her, grinding his erection into her. Sure they were older now, but yoga for her and the gym for him, coupled with the fact that he was still active in fieldwork helped. Helped a whole lot.

"Bones…" he groaned, "I need to be inside now."

His growl was animalistic as he clawed at her sweats.

He released her from his grasp, only to allow her to shuck her sweats, panties along with it. His pants pooled at his feet. The couch would have to do, no time to make it to the bedroom.

He pushed her back onto the couch, she landed on the soft cushions with a "Ommph".

He stopped momentarily, worried he might have hurt her. Any concern was erased as she reached for him, pulling him down and threading her slender fingers through his hair, tugging his lips to hers, her tongue exploring his mouth. He aligned himself, anticipating the relief coursing through his body as he slid into her.

The doorbell rang, and both froze.

"Who?" She panted.

"I don't care," Booth complained. All he knew was that he had to be inside her or he would implode.

His tip was brushing against her folds, making her buck her hips up, sending jolts of pleasure up her core.

The doorbell rang again. Brennan pushed him off her, and Booth stood up protesting her actions with an uncharacteristic whine, "Bones!"

"It's probably some salesman or a neighbor. It'll only take a second." Brennan replied as she slipped on her sweats, not bothering with the discarded panties.

She opened the door, after briefly smoothing her hair down hoping she didn't look like someone interrupted in the middle of making out with her husband.

"Rachel?"

"Mom?"

"What are you doing here?"

"This is a bad time."

Rachel Booth knew immediately what her mother had been doing just before she rang the doorbell. And it sure wasn't yoga.

"Rach?"

Her father appeared behind her mother, his dress shirt he wore for work pulled on in haste, completely unbuttoned, the lower half of his body hidden behind the door. She immediately knew she had interrupted her parents in the middle of sex. That wasn't a good image. Why did it always seem to happen to her? She remembered when she was eleven and caught her parents in the act. Not a good childhood memory.

"It's Friday!" Booth exclaimed.

"Yeah Dad you asked me over for dinner, with Nate."

"Uh.. hi Agent Booth." Agent Nathan Sorenson looked like he was looking for hole in the ground to bury himself in.

"Nate, hi, good to see you."

Brennan turned to her husband. "You invited them over?"

"Yeah. Sorry slipped my mind that it's Friday. I was, you know up all night at work, my brain's still telling me it's Thursday."

"It's obviously a bad time Mom, we'll come back another day."

"No, no, sweetheart, it's ok. Right Bones?"

"Yes. I can rustle up some dinner, just give me half an hour."

"I appreciate what you're trying to do Mom, really, but I'd rather let you two get back to what you were doing. We can re-schedule."

"It's not a problem. Really."

"We'll come back another time Dr Brennan."

"Yeah, Nate's right. I really don't want to come in right now, stirs up some childhood memories I'd rather forget." Rachel winced at the thought.

"Ok Rachel, maybe next week."

"Yeah Dad, sure."

Brennan watched her daughter and her boyfriend hurry back into the car, before closing the door and turning to Booth.

"What do you think she meant when she said, stir up some childhood memories she'd rather forget. You think she ever walked in on us?"

"I don't know." Brennan smiled.

"I know if I ever saw my parents…" Booth shuddered.

Brennan laughed. "Forget about it."

She took Booth hand, "Let's go upstairs and do what our daughter told us to do shall we?"

"Get back to what we were doing?"

"Yes that."

_Chapter 17 – Wedding Blues_

The good, the bad and the ugly. The good was that he was getting married tomorrow. The bad? He had to arrest his future father-in-law. The ugly? Well that's how it was going to get at the wedding tomorrow, if, there was going to be one.

Booth rounded the car coming face to face with Max Keenan.

The bachelor's party Jared had set up for him was interesting, and the stripper he got was hot, blonde, leggy, the type Booth used to like. Now he just loved his Temperance. The blonde that was gyrating on his lap got him somewhat aroused, but not as much as Bones did. In the end, he was relieved when the party was over. Then he got the call from Caroline Julian. They had the proof they needed.

"I'm here to arrest you Max." Booth said, not wasting time with small talk.

"Ok.. but wait, I can't go like this, quietly, it's not my nature."

Max raised his fists in a boxers' stance.

Booth drew his gun. He had to be insane. There was no way he was going to shoot Max Keenan. Sure Bones had told him it was ok and she could compartmentalize but nobody shot his bride's father on the eve of their wedding!

"Shoot me in the leg Booth."

"I can't." Booth sighed. "Look Max, you know, I'm getting married to your daughter in les than 12 hours. Just let me take you in ok?"

"It's not my nature, I have a reputation, You can understand that."

Truth was, Booth did. He sighed again, uncocking his gun and removing the bullet from the chamber, then placing it on the trunk of the car next to him. He held up his fists. If Max wanted a fight, then a fight was what he was going to get. A part of him felt bad for being about to beat up an old guy.

Booth threw the first punch, and Max followed. Booth staggered back, not bad for an old guy he thought.

Another couple of punches left Max doubling over, out of breath. "I surrender, I give up."

Max fell to the ground trying to catch his breath. Now Booth felt really bad. How was he going to explain this to Bones? He approached Max, his guard down.

Before he knew it, Max had landed a well-aimed kick right in his balls, which left him seeing stars.

Booth groaned, "That really hurt!"

He fell to the ground next to Max, gasping, "Don't you want any grandkids?"

The wedding was a simple affair. Brennan didn't want any pomp and grandeur, she just wanted them married. She conceded to marrying in a church as dictated by Booth's religion. There were family and a few close friends.

At the altar, Booth felt as if he needed to tell her about the events that transpired the night before.

"Dear friends, we're gathered here today to witness the – "

Booth held up a finger to the priest, "If you could just give us a moment, Father, please."

There were faint murmurs among the crowd.

"Booth what are you doing?" Angela hissed. Booth's parents cast disapproving glances at their second son.

"Just… Bones and I need to talk, just a second."

He grabbed Brennan's arm tugging her to him, leading her to a secluded corner away from the altar and pews where the guests were seated.

"What going on Booth?"

"Bones,, Temperance…. You look amazing, I thought my heart would stop."

Brennan smiled. "You're supposed to save all this for later. I get that you miss me since you weren't allowed to see me last night – "

"Bones you know I love you right?"

"Yes I do."

"Good, good, cos, I arrested your Dad last night."

Brennan's face remained emotionless. She was conflicted. She was still angry at her father for everything he had done. She reached a hand to touch the small bruise on Booth's cheek.

"He put up a fight?"

"Yeah. Look, I just needed to tell you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, We knew he had this coming, I told you, I'm ok with it."

"I need you to know, Max, he could've got away. But he let me arrest him because of you. He's staying because he's not going to leave you again."

Her father cared about her. He didn't want to leave her again, even if that meant being sent to jail. The realization brought tears to her eyes. She threw her arms round Booth's neck.

"Thank you Booth."

Booth smiled, smoothing the skin on her back with his hands.

"So you're not mad at me?"

"No, I'm not."

"Good, cos we still need to get married."

Brennan lifted her head form his shoulder, and replied with a smile, "Then let's get this show on the street Booth."

Booth grinned. "Road Bones, let's get this show on the road."

He took her hand and led her back to the altar, exchanging vows and becoming man and wife.

_**I didn't go too much into the details of the wedding, I already wrote a BB wedding in my previous fics, so I didn't want to repeat myself. You guys who read my previous fic would know, that certain themes would be repeated but I try to keep things different but still try to stay in character. **_


	19. Chapter 19: Adam

**_Whaddya know? I'm back, My muse for this story suddenly gripped me and I remembered this story that I kinda neglected for to long. _**

**_And yay for the season five that's coming in less than 2 weeks. Judging from the spoilers, it's gonna be one awesome season. _**

**_We're moving into season 3 for this story now, and some facts are of course changed up a little. _**

Brennan walked out of the gate at the airport into the crowded arrival hall. It had been years since she had come to South America and the first thing that struck her with a not so pleasant familiarity was the heat and humidity.

"Mom!"

Brennan scanned the crowd and found her firstborn son in the sea of faces. She smiled and waved back, then hurried towards the dark-haired man, pulling her luggage behind her. As she neared the young man whom she had not seen in almost a year, she marveled at how much he was a replica of his father. Sure Parker looked like Booth too, but Adam had inherited everything Booth in the physical sense. From his large built, dark hair and brown eyes to that charm smile that got women weak at the knees.

He reminded Brennan so much of his father, the only difference was that Adam wore glasses. And that wasn't the only difference, although Adam looked like his father, he had been handed the smarts and character of his mother.

Mother and son embraced.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too Mom, although not that much. I mean, work keeps me busy."

Brennan laughed. He was so much like her when she was his age, but as she looked into her son's brown eyes, she saw Booth, and her heart twinged. She was missing her husband already. She took a deep breath, reminding herself to stay strong and stick to the decision she had agonizingly made.

"Busy huh?"

"Well not as busy as you and Dad but yeah pretty much busy enough to keep me at the dig site all day."

"Just don't overwork yourself, although I'm fairly certain I was doing the same when I was your age, only it was human bones I dug up, not dinosaurs."

Adam laughed. His mother's love of bones had rubbed off on him since the early years. He wasn't as athletic or interested in sports as Booth would have liked. His father loved him as much as he did his other children. Booth had resigned to the fact that Adam was a squint, just like his mother, but his father never called him that. And he loved bones too, just like his mother, only it was dinosaurs that captivated him. He grew up, not quite the forensic anthropologist, but rather a paleontologist.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." Adam slung an arm round his mother's shoulders and reached for her luggage.

_Chapter 18 – Adam_

The honeymoon was in Hawaii. The sun, the sand and the sea. When they were not at the beach, they were in their hotel, making love. Brennan and Booth were inseparable, and why shouldn't they be? They were newly-weds.

When they got back to Washington DC, they got back to work, just like old times.

A month into their partnership as husband and wife, things changed. Brennan started to refuse to go into the field with Booth. Things got to the point where, they didn't even have lunch together and the only time they had together was at Brennan's apartment which they now called home.

Booth worried that he may have inadvertently angered his new wife by arresting her father.

That night when Booth was informed a human skull had been thrown off a bridge and was now embedded in the windshield of a car, he smiled.

It had been some time since they had a case and he had missed working with his wife.

He had showed her the skull rather proudly, like a boy showing off his prized pet at show-and-tell. But she had remained unimpressed.

As they drove home that night, Booth couldn't hold his worry any further.

"Are you mad at me Bones?"

"No, why?"

"I mean, I did arrest your Dad. He's sitting in a maximum security prison right now, because of me,"

"My father committed a crime. He should be punished for it."

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

"We're married Booth. We share the same bed. We had sex last night. How could I possibly be avoiding you?"

"Why won't you come into the field with me? Did I do something wrong?'

"I told you Booth, until I find a suitable replacement for Zack, I can't go into the field with you."

"Come on, you have that other intern, what's his name…."

"Clark?"

"Yeah him."

"I'm still unsure if I'll fill Zack's position with Clark."

"Come on Bones, we don't know when Zack would be back."

"And until I can find someone suitable, I won't be accompanying you in your fieldwork. You did fine before I came along."

"Yeah but I miss that part of our relationship when we work together."

"Now you're being whiny."

"I'm not whining, FBI agents don't whine."

"You sure this isn't about your Dad?"

"No Booth it's not."

"Something's bothering you."

"Something's bothering you too."

"I already told you Bones, what's bothering me is the fact you're refusing to work with me."

"I'm working with you, just not accompanying you into the field."

"Bones…."

"Booth, just give it a break ok? I'm tired."

Days later, Zack came back. They caught a break in the case. There was a cannibalistic serial killer to be caught and Brennan was back in the field with Booth again.

One evening after the contents of the Gormagon vault had been moved to the Jeffersonian, they took time to relax with coffee at the Lincoln Memorial.

_Cos we're the center and the center must hold._ The words reverberated in Brennan's mind. Now was as good a time to tell him as any. They were the center afterall.

"Booth?"

"Yeah babe?"

Brennan hated when he called her that, but she let it slide. Pet names weren't allowed at work but they were alone now.

"I'm late."

"For what?"

Brennan smiled, almost sheepishly. "No Booth, I'm late."

Booth's eyes grew wide. He broke into the largest grin Brennan had seen.

"Seriously?" I mean are you sure?"

Brennan frowned. "That my period is late? Yes I'm sure."

"No I mean, are you sure you're pregnant?"

"I suspected this for awhile, but I went to see my doctor a couple of days ago. I wanted to be sure. I didn't want you to get your hopes up. I know how much you want this."

"So you figured the only way you could do this without me knowing is to not work with me for awhile."

"I wanted to be sure, before I told you. So yes, that and partially because I really needed to be in the lab because Zack was in Iraq."

"So you're sure now?"

Brennan smiled. The memory of the baby she lost in the car accident although dulled with time still haunted her. The fact that she hadn't told Booth made it worse. This was her chance to set things right. She was going to have a baby with the man she loved. With her husband. It felt right. It felt good.

"The doctor called with the results this morning."

"And?" Booth held his breath in anticipation.

"I'm pregnant."

**_I have never been to _****_South America_****_ so forgive me if my portrayal of the place is inaccurate. And I'm not planning on elaborating on the events of season 3, only the significant moments. Remember this is AU, what it would be like if BB were a couple in the show from the very start. _**

**_It's been awhile since I wrote fics so do review to let me know how I'm doing._**


	20. Chapter 20: My Father

_**A big thank you to all those of you who reviewed. Especially those, yes you, who have faithfully followed this story despite my long hiatus. **_

_**Speaking of which, some of you might need a visual of Adam Booth. Think Booth in Mummy in the Maze, you know with the Clark Kent glasses. You get the idea. **_

_**And back to the story. **_

Inside her son's small car, Brennan took in the sights in silence as her son drove. It had been so long since she had been here.

"Has the place changed much since the last time you were here?"

Brennan shrugged. "I can't remember how long it's been since I was here in Argentina. The last time I was here, it was on a historical dig, I think it was before I met your father."

"And how is Dad doing?"

"He's good, same, healthy."

"Good, cos you guys aren't young anymore."

"I keep having to remind him that."

Adam laughed. "Figures."

"Parker called me. Said him and Jan are having a baby."

"Yes. He called to tell us couple of weeks back."

"You and Dad must be excited."

"We are."

"Too bad Dad couldn't come with you. I've missed him. He's busy with work huh?"

"Something like that."

Adam paused. It wasn't like his mother to be vague.

"What?"

"What?"

"Something happen to Dad?"

"No I just told you he's fine."

"You were kinda sketchy on the details. You don't do vague Mom."

"You can call him if you want."

And then it stuck Adam. Growing up he remembered his parents had to be separated at times. Work sometimes demanded that they traveled to different parts of the country, occasionally also out of the country. But whichever parent traveled, the other would call home the minute they arrived safely at their destination.

It occurred to Adam that his mother hadn't called his father.

"Why don't you call him? Hand me the phone when you're done with your lovey-dovey talk."

"I'm not calling him."

"Why not, you guys always – "

"I'm just not Adam." Brennan snapped, her tone a little harsher than she had intended.

"Ok, ok, sorry."

Brennan sighed, feeling guilty for snapping at her son. This seemed a bad habit lately, losing her temper at the smallest thing.

"I'm sorry Adam, it's not your fault. Your father and I are…. I thought it would be best if we were apart for awhile."

"Apart?"

"Separate, that's what the word means."

"I know what the word means Mom, I just never thought…. is that the real reason you wanted to visit me all of a sudden?"

"No, I've been wanting to see you. Your father and I….it's not that big a deal Adam."

"Not a big deal?! As long as I can remember you and Dad have been crazy in love with each other. He's actually ok with this?"

"You father doesn't have much of a say in this."

Adam sighed. "What's going on? Should I be worried?"

"There's nothing to worry about, it's just something your father and I have to deal with right now."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Adam already knew his mother's answer. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. As if time conspired to keep him from digging out more information from his mother, he pulled up at his apartment.

Brennan reached over and squeezed her son's hand.

"I'm tired after the flight. I know I owe you an explanation, turning up here in such short notice. We'll talk tomorrow ok?"

Adam led his mother into his small apartment in silence. He knew his mother well enough to know that he wasn't going to get more information out of her, not that night anyway.

Brennan was relieved her son seemed to get the hint. He gave her some excuse that he needed to work on his thesis, or maybe it wasn't an excuse, but whatever it was she was glad he gave her the space she needed. That was the real, reason she was here. Space.

She sighed as she slipped under the covers that night in the small guest room in her son's apartment. She had hoped that coming here would relieve some of the tension she felt coiling in her body. She hoped she was right.

Lying alone in the dark, she blinked, already knowing that history always proved correct. Running away never solved anything, and she doubted that this time it would too. She forced her eyes close, and soon the tiredness of her mind from thinking and her body from travel led her into a fitful sleep.

Chapter 19 – My Father

Booth waited outside the maximum security prison, waiting for his wife. He would have gone in with her, but he wanted her to be alone with her father. This was something he felt strongly she needed to do and he didn't' want to interfere unless absolutely necessary.

He liked his father-in-law, respected him even. He hoped that his wife would feel the same way; hopefully she would understand that Max did what he had to do to protect his family.

The door buzzed and Booth watched as Brennan walked towards him, her face a mask of anger. Ok so maybe things didn't go as well as he hoped.

She hurried past him, not even bothering to stop. She was five months pregnant now. One had to be blind not to notice her pregnancy now. Booth had hoped that her being pregnant would change her mind about the way she felt about her father. His wife's body had took to the pregnancy well. She never had any morning sickness or nausea, put on sufficient weight and wasn't really all that tired. The only thing that changed was her quicker temper. Otherwise, she hardly missed a beat, still working and still going out into the field with him. She would have it no other way.

"Bones! Wait up!"

"This was a mistake, I shouldn't have let you talk me into coming here."

"Come on Bones, he's your Dad." Booth called, hurrying after her.

"He's a murderer who abandons his own children."

"Bones!"

Brennan stopped spinning round. "Not another word Seeley Booth."

"Alright, alright." Booth held up his hands in mock surrender.

Booth didn't dare broach the subject again. It was a Saturday and they had Parker for the weekend. That night Booth stood, his arms folded across his chest, leaning against he doorjam as he watched his wife read some Dr Seuss, book about green eggs and ham to Parker.

Booth felt his heart swell. She would be a great mother. She already was to Parker. He waited for her to finish, then walked into the room to tuck kiss Parker goodnight.

They settled on the couch, Booth's hand moving, as if of its own volition, as if it belonged nowhere else, onto her pregnant belly. After some moments he felt the characteristic kick of his child on his hand.

Booth grinned. "Hey baby."

Brennan smiled.

"I get the feeling we're having a boy."

"Could be a girl." Brennan smiled, placing her hand on top of Booth's.

"Either way, I'm happy."

"Me too, but I'm nervous."

"I told you Bones, you're gonna be great at this Mom thing. You're already great with Parker."

"What if I screw up, like my parents."

"Hey my parent's weren't exactly role models either."

"Well we'll just have to make sure we don't do what our parents did."

"You know Bones," Booth interlaced his fingers with hers. "Although I had my parents with me my whole life, they, my Dad especially never made me feel loved. All I got from them was that I was stupid and would never measure up to Jared."

'

"You don't believe that. I don't."

"Your parents, they were different."

"Booth…."

"Bones, your Dad is in prison. He could be out there somewhere right now, but he chose to stay because of you. He may have left you when you were fifteen, but before that, you knew he loved you right? Everyday he made you feel loved, like you were worth something right?"

Brennan hated to admit it but Booth was right. She nodded slowly.

"That's more than I can say for my Dad."

"He left me."

"He's not leaving you now is he?"

Brennan kept silent, knowing that once again Booth was right.

"What did he say when you visited him today. He must've noticed you're pregnant. The last time you visited him, you weren't showing yet."

"He said he needed a pack of cards and socks."

"And we'll get him those the next time you visit him."

"He told me not to let this baby be a stranger."

"And I think we shouldn't."

"We can't bring a baby to visit his or her grandfather in prison. It's hardly a good place for adults to be in."

"Our baby's gonna be just fine visiting grandpa in prison. Besides, Max's case hasn't gone to trial yet."

"He killed a man."

"A crooked cop."

"Your boss's boss's boss."

"A crooked cop. Come on Bones, is it really that hard to forgive him? Maybe if he didn't leave you and Russ, you'd both have been killed by now. The world would not have had this amazing forensic anthropologist, and I would never have met you."

Booth rubbed her belly.

"And this baby would never be coming into this world. He loves you Bones. I know he does, Whaddya' say Bones, give it some time, visit him, forgive him."

A tear rolled down Brennan's cheek.

"Why do I always give in to you?"

"No you don't always give in to me, but you do listen to me, sometimes, cos you know my gut is always right."

Brennan couldn't help but shake her head, smiling.

"You'll come with me next time, to visit him. Instead of standing outside."

"Yeah, if that's what you want."

"That's what I want."

_**Can't help the fluff. **_

_**Hit the review button, come on you know you want to. **_


	21. Chapter 21: Explosion

_**I seem to be having the flu, so a short chapter today. Many thanks to all those who reviewed, I'm really glad to see all those of you "faithful" readers and reviewers. **_

Booth stood up slowly, his back protesting at his actions. He had been crouching over a partial human skeleton, one with some fleshy parts still on it. Age didn't seem to help with his back problems, and the only person he wanted fixing his back right now wasn't there.

He let out a sigh, one louder than he had intended. His heart ached, no it was more like a stabbing pain as he thought of her.

"Still haven't heard from Dr Brennan?" Cam walked up to her long time friend.

Booth motioned for her to follow him, away from ears itching to hear about the senior FBI Agent and his wife. He didn't need anymore gossip.

Away from the group of forensic techs Booth ran a hand through his graying hair.

"I haven't heard from her. It's been three days. I would have filed a missing persons report, except…"

"Except she's not really missing."

"Hell I don't know." Booth threw his hands up in exasperation. "What did I do? Tell me what did I do?"

"Sorry big guy, can't help you there."

"You would think that after almost thirty years together Camile.... I just can't believe she would just up and leave like that."

Booth's voice cracked betraying the hurt he was feeling.

"Was it the Dawson case?"

"What that? I don't know, I mean she made one little mistake. I don't even think it was a mistake, I mean, she missed one tiny crack on some bit of bone, she's only human."

"Her oversight almost let our suspect walk free."

"Well he didn't alright? I mean we fixed it. We always do."

"She was pretty shook up by it."

"That was a month ago. I stayed up with her, talked her through all that stuff she was feeling. After that case, she's been more snappy than usual, you know losing her temper at me all the time, I thought she got over it. I never expected her to just leave."

"You know she goes on her digs when she's stressed…"

"No flights with her name to Guatemala." Booth shook his head. "I could look elsewhere but there was the note she left me."

"Not to look for her if…"

"Yeah not to look for her if I still want us to stay married. What the hell does that mean? Is she coming back? Is she hurt? Did something happen to her?"

"I guess all you can do is wait, and hope that what the two of you have build over all these years would stand whatever's making her think she has to run from you."

Booth sighed loudly again. The house seemed so empty without her, their bed so vast without her in it. "I love her so much you know."

"I'm sure she knows that."

"I just – "

His cellphone chose this time to ring. Booth's heart leapt. Perhaps it was his Bones. He fished his cellphone out of the pocket of his suit jacket.

"Booth."

The voice on the other end was female, but not the woman he wanted so badly to be calling him. On the contrary, it was the woman he thought he had tied up all lose ends with and would never hear from again.

"I have to take this." Booth nodded apologetically to Cam.

"It'll be ok Seeley."

"I hope so." Booth patted Cam on the shoulder, a gesture to let her know he appreciated her concern, then waited for Cam to walk away from earshot before holding the phone to his ear again.

He sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. "I thought I told you not to call again."

_Chapter 20 - Explosion_

One minute they were in a taxi cab, hot on the trail of a serial killer. The next moment, he was yelling at her to get down, forcing her head down with his hand. The explosion hit the cab spinning it once over, making his world spin along with it. He had only a second for his brain to register that the cab was flying in mid-air, then worry about his wife next to him, before the world righted itself again.

The landing nearly knocked him out cold, the air rushing out of his lungs in a whoosh. Booth groaned as he fought the unconsciousness that threatened to envelope him. The ringing in his ears, never ceased. He lifted his head, and his Army training kicked. He smelled fumes. That couldn't be good. He had to get out.

His gaze fell immediately on Brennan in the passenger seat next to him. Thank God for seatbelts. The seatbelt held her in place, but her head was slumped to one side. Booth's heart was pounding, giving him a lancing headache. His hand moved to finger the large gash above his eyebrow. He felt blood flow freely from the open wound on his forehead.

The seatbelt across his wife only seemed to accentuate her pregnant belly, and Booth mouthed a silent prayer for his baby to be safe.

He tried to kick open the door to the passenger side but it was jammed shut. He tried his side of the door and mercifully it opened. He knew he couldn't carry Brennan out from the window, her stomach would get in the way. So he reached over to unbuckle her and then lifted her into his arms. He felt the full measure of her weight and struggled to get her out of his side of the cab. As her feet hit the road, she began to regain consciousness.

"Bones?"

He couldn't make out what she was saying. Whatever sound that was coming out of her mouth sounded more like a groan. He half carried, half dragged Brennan to the sidewalk, sitting her down gently on the ground. She was breathing hard and a hand instinctively moved to her pregnant belly.

"You ok?" Brennan asked. Her ears were ringing and she felt blood oozing from a gash on her forehead. Booth's forehead mirrored a similar gash.

"Yeah, yeah. You?"

"I'm ok. I think our son is too."

"This is stupid, I should never have agreed to this. It was a dumb idea. I put you, put our baby at risk."

Brennan wanted to assure him, tell him she was fine. Their baby was fine. She watched as Booth removed what seemed to be a human canine from her arm.

"Is that?"

"Yes." Brennan replied. In the distance the sound of ambulance sirens could be heard.

"Go, you have to catch him."

"But you.. the baby…"

"We're fine. This may be our only chance to catch him." Brennan nodded to the ambulance pulling up. All she could think of was that they couldn't let Gormagon get away. "I'll meet you at the hospital. We're fine, don't worry."

Booth nodded, satisfied that his pregnant wife would receive the medical attention he thought she needed. He leaned to plant a kiss on her forehead, then jumped into a nearby police car, gunning the engine and taking off after the motorcycle that had fled the scene moments earlier.

Brennan sat on the sidewalk as the paramedics approached. Her hand rubbing her stomach. Just as the patrol car Booth was in turned out of view, Brennan felt a sharp, cramping pain in her stomach, causing her to gasp, her legs curling up in pain. Then she felt a sudden flow of liquid between her legs.

_**Cliffhangers on both ends…. Oh naughty me. What's going on with older BB? **_

_**Guess you all will have to wait to find out more. In the meantime, review while you wait. **_


	22. Chapter 22: Foolish

_**Woo-hoo couple more days to the season premiere. I'm so excited I can hardly wait. **_

_**So many reviews, and story alerts, thank you all. Glad to know that you're enjoying this story. **_

Brennan brushed a bead of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, and resumed dusting at the large bone with a brush that was dwarfed by the size of the specimen before her. The heat was unbearable but a welcome relief to where she came from. It had been awhile since she had been on a dig of any kind, granted the skeleton of a dinosaur would be a first. Her back ached, age catching up?

"You look like you need a break Mom."

"No this is quite invigorating actually."

Adam knelt beside his mother and handed her a bottle of water which she accepted.

"So is this any different from human remains?"

"Yes, different but enjoyable nonetheless."

"It's been three days. You still owe me an explanation." Adam knew his mother would clam up again but he had to try. Since she had been here she had hardly talked about his father and never called him, which was completely unlike her.

Brennan opened the bottle of water and took a long swig.

"I guess I do."

Adam raised his eyebrows in surprise. She was willing to talk now?"

She set the bottle down beside her, and sat on the dirt, careful not to disturb the gigantic bones her son and his team were digging up.

"About a month ago, human remains, a skeleton of a child was found in a basement. Your father and I worked the case. I quickly identified the remains to belong to a four year-old boy, who had been reported missing almost a year ago. Back then local police all thought the boy's father might have had something to do with his son's disappearance though there was no evidence linking him to the alledged crime. I concluded death was due to trauma to the boy's head, likely from a fall from height. What we couldn't prove was whether he fell or was thrown. The father confessed the boy fell and he was too upset and afraid to tell the truth, instead hid his son's body in their basement. Your father was about to close the case when a colleague, Wendell, took a closer look at the skeleton. Upon closer examination, the fracture on the parietal bone I determined to be due to the fall was concluded to be more likely due to blunt force trauma."

Brennan shook her head, as if still not believing she could have missed something like that.

"So Dad arrested the boy's father?"

"Yes, and he confessed to killing his son in a fit of anger."

"No harm done then?"

"Yes. But theoretically, we could have let a murderer go free."

"But you didn't. You're only human, everyone makes mistakes. Even Dr Temperance Brennan. Actually Mom, it wasn't even a mistake, just something you overlooked."

Brennan smiled to herself. This sounded like a conversation she had had with Booth so many nights ago.

"I don't overlook things like that Adam."

"So you're upset about this. What's this gotta do with you coming here? And you're clearly avoiding Dad."

"I'm just upset with myself. It's made me a little more uptight than I normally am. I was taking things out on your father which I thought wasn't fair to him."

"So you're avoiding him? I don't see how this is being any fairer to him."

"I just need some time away from him, to clear my head. Time and space."

"Does Dad even know you're here?"

"No. I told him not to come looking for me."

"He must be upset and worried sick about you Mom."

"I'll call him when I'm ready."

"But Mom – "

Brennan raised her finger, using the same tone she used when Adam was a boy and needed discipline.

"Not a word to your father you understand?"

"You're not being fair to him."

"Promise me Adam."

Adam sighed.

"Besides, he has his friends, and your sister. He'll be fine."

"He's never fine without you Mom. I'm old enough to know that."

"That you are." Brennan patted her son on the shoulder. "I promise I'll call him soon."

Adam nodded. He stood up.

"And not a word to any of your other siblings either."

Adam sighed. What was that about a Mom radar? How did she know what he was thinking?

"Just as long as you promise to call Dad soon."

"I will, just give me couple more days."

Adam nodded. Knowing his father he might be resourceful enough to track his mother down anyway.

Brennan watched Adam walk away, her heart again tugging at how much he resembled his father. She hadn't been entirely honest with her son. She had only told him half the story, the half that most people knew.

The real reason, she kept to herself. She didn't want to think about it because the reality was much harsher than her poor heart could bear. She had opened her heart to him so many years ago, to the one man who vowed he would treat it with love and care. Who was she to believe that people never change? She was a fool. It was due to her own foolishness that led to her feeling this way.

She glanced at Adam again. Before she had her children with Booth, she would have been devastated but now her children gave her the strength she used to depend on herself for. She was grateful if anything to Booth for them.

Shaking her head she forced herself back to the skeleton at hand. Too much thinking hurt her head. She would come to a decision soon. No she had already made up her mind, she just needed a few days to convince herself this was the right thing to do, and to set things in motion.

Then she stilled. A moment of clarity. No she couldn't wait, or she might lose her resolve. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cellphone to make the call.

_Chapter 21 – Foolish_

Booth sat beside Brennan's hospital bed, holding one of her hands in his. The doctors had assured him that she would wake soon. He had been a fool, a fool to leave her side, a fool not to pull the trigger when he had the chance. He had been dripping wet when he got to the hospital. A nurse had kindly provided him with a dry set of surgical scrubs to change into. However he had declined to have the gash on his forehead looked at although the nurse did insist he most likely need stitches. That would wait. Other things took precedence. Like his wife, and child.

What was he thinking?! Why did he come up with that stupid plan to lure Gormangon out anyway? And to involve his heavily pregnant wife?

His blood had run cold when Angela called to say that Brennan was having an emergency c-section to deliver their son. He had been with the paramedics who had been summoned after he had fished the terrified boy out of the swimming pool.

Gormagon had escaped. Booth should've pulled the trigger when he had the chance. If anything happened to his wife or son….. he didn't dare think. Their son was not due for another month and a half at least.

He watched his wife stir, then her eyes fluttered open. Booth stood up, leaning over her, smoothing her hair back with a hand.

"Hey."

"How's Adam?"

That had been the name they had agreed on. It wasn't took difficult a decision. Once the scans showed they were expecting a boy, Brennan had wanted to name him after the kind elderly gentleman who had taken her in after her first set of foster parents. The foster parents who locked her in the trunk of a car for breaking the dishes.

"He's fine."

"How are you?"

"I'm ok. You sure Adam's ok? He's premature."

"He's in the NICU now. He's kinda small, but they think he's gonna be ok. He'll just have to stay in the hospital for awhile ok? But he'll grow."

"I want to see him."

"Bones. You just had surgery."

"Women have caesarian sections all the time. I'm fine." Brennan tired to get out of bed, ignoring the sharp pain from the surgery. She winced.

"Hey, hey. Take it easy Bones. You'll get to see him soon enough, I promise. But I need you to take care of yourself first."

Brennan bit her lip, then nodded.

"He shouldn't be alone."

"I know. But neither should you." Booth felt torn. He wanted to be with his wife and son at the same time.

"I'll be ok. Go be with Adam. Please? And tell me anything changes."

"He's stable for now, and the doctors say he's doing very well."

"This is my entire fault. If I hadn't insisted on going with you, Adam wouldn't need to be born so soon." She ran a hand down her now flatter belly. "I'm so sorry Booth."

Tears slid down her cheeks.

"No Bones, it's not your fault. Come on, he's ok. He's gonna be ok. It'll take some time, but he'll be ok." He swiped her tears with his thumb.

"Just please Booth, go be with him."

Booth squeezed her hand. "Ok, I'll go. Get the nurses to call if you need me."

Brennan nodded. Booth kissed her gently on the lips.

"Get some rest Bones, I love you."

It was a short walk to the neonatal intensive care unit, and Booth pushed open the doors slowly. One of the nurses smiled at him. He had been there the moment Adam had been born, leaving to be with Brennan only when the doctors told him she would wake soon.

Booth walked up to the small cot that his son lay in, peering down at him. He looked so small. Booth couldn't remember Parker being so little, and at the time he thought Parker was small. There was a tube that brought oxygen to Adam's small nose, and tiny tubes bringing him nutrients and medication.

Booth smoothed his son's arm, the only one without any IVs gently with his index finger. Adam stirred, opening his eyes to his father.

Booth smiled but at the same time his heart broke. Adam look tired, as if simply moving and opening his eyes tired his small body. The infant's eyes closed to sleep again. Not a peep. Booth remembered Parker crying loudly after he was born but Adam was rather silent. Just maybe a small whimper.

"Hey Adam. Daddy's here. You're gonna be ok son. Just stay strong little man. Your big brother's waiting to meet you."

A fresh anger coiled within Booth. Anger at himself, at Gormagon. The serial killer would pay. He would make sure of it.

_**I must admit I'm not too good with the forensic stuff, so apologies if my description of the case was inaccurate in anyway. **_

_**What's the real reason for present B&B's fallout? Read more to find out. And don't forget to review along the way.**_


	23. Chapter 23: First Night Home

_**Thousand apologies for keeping you guys waiting again. How awesome were the first two episodes of season 5??? And it's just gonna get better. **_

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and is patiently waiting for this chapter. **_

Booth opened the door to the diner, not the one him and Brennan frequented. He was glad this was the decided meeting place, he didn't want to chance being recognized. He hated this part. Keeping things from his Bones. But he had been left with little choice. He slipped the sunglasses off and scanned the diner. It was relatively empty, and he immediately spotted the person he was looking for.

Booth walked briskly up to the table, then slid into the chair opposite the dark-haired woman. He glanced at the baby in the infant carrier. He was sound asleep, oblivious to the world around him.

The waitress came to take his order but Booth waved her away. He wasn't intending to stay long.

"Took you long enough."

"Traffic." Booth grunted his reply. He reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out a white envelope. He slid it across the table.

The woman picked it up, tore it open, smiling at the figures on the cheque.

"This is the last time Eva."

"That's what you said before. You'll be back, when I call. Can't let the Ray starve now can we?"

Booth cast a quick glance at the baby.

"Get a job. That's what I've been telling you." Booth clenched his jaw. He should never have agreed to this in the first place, never tried to cover this up.

"Come on. Your wife is loaded. You can afford this. No one will ever know."

Booth glared at the woman facing him. His gaze shifted to the sleeping baby and his heart softened. His head screamed no, but Booth reached out and smoothed the boy's cheek with his index finger. He remembered when his children were this little. He knew he didn't have it in him to simply walk away.

"Can't say no to him can you? After all he's family."

Booth bit his lower lip and sighed. "I have to go. Take good care of him."

"You know I will."

Booth got up, spinning round he came face to face with Angela. She has this look on her face that told Booth he was in for trouble.

Angela shook her head. "Never in a million years Seeley Booth."

"Ange, it's not what you think – "

Angela held up her hand. "Forget it." She spun round and stormed out into the street.

"Angela wait!"

Booth dashed out to catch up with her. Behind him he heard Eva exit the diner. She stopped next to him, giving him a smirk. Ray was waking up and began to cry.

"I need a ride Seeley."

Booth watched as Angela got into her car and drove off. He let out an angry breath. Ray continued to fuss. He watched as Eva set the carried on the sidewalk then picked the crying baby up. He stopped crying soothed in his mother's arms.

Booth motioned towards his SUV.

"Come on."

Booth dropped mother and baby at her apartment. He was getting back into his car when a man in a blue suit walked up to him.

"Seeley Booth?"

"Yeah?"

The man handed Booth an envelope.

"You've been served."

Booth frowned. A disgruntled perp he had arrested? He tore open the envelope and opened the letter hardly believing his eyes. No freaking way. Even if Angela did know where Bones was there was no way….. not unless Bones already suspected something. Booth kicked himself mentally.

He has to set things right. Had to. He climbed into his SUV and gunned the engines heading for the Jeffersonian. He found Angela in her office, working on the case form this morning.

"Angela."

"Go away Booth. You disgust me."

"Just, just let me explain."

"I'm not the one you owe an explanation."

Booth walked to Angela, forcing her to stop her work and look him in the eye.

"I just got this."

Angela raised her eyebrows.

"Bones wants a divorce. Papers cited marital infidelity."

"Can't blame her. Now get out of here before I shoot you with your own gun."

"Ange, it's not what you think."

"Not what I think?! I saw you at the diner, with that woman, couldn't be much older than Rachel. And a baby? I mean no disrespect to Rebecca but you would think after Parker you would be more careful."

"Angela, I love Bones. I would never ever ever do anything to hurt her."

"So what was that I saw? A drunken one night stand?"

"No. Was that why she left? She knew? I thought I was careful."

"Ah so you're admitting to having an affair."

"You're crazy! No. I would never. Look, couple of months back, I get this phonecall from this woman, Eva."

"The one I saw you with."

"Yeah. She said she was Jared's mistress. Said he knocked her up, promised to divorce Linda. After the baby was born, he changed his mind. Didn't want anything to do with her or the baby. She told me the baby was sick and she was broke. I couldn't turn away. That baby's my nephew."

"Why didn't you just tell Jared?"

"Eva told me the baby was sick, needed money for doctors. Said Jared wouldn't help. The first couple of times I gave her some money, then I realized she was bluffing. The baby, Ray, he was perfectly fine. I went to Jared, told him to handle this. He begged me to keep this a secret, promised he'd tell Linda, work out this mess. Said he needed time, had some big Pentagon thing to do then he'd fix this. Begged me not to tell a soul."

"And you agreed to."

"I shouldn't have."

"Are you telling me the truth Booth?"

"Of course I am."

Angela regarded Booth for a moment. The pleading look in his eyes and the fact that she knew Booth loved Brennan more than anyone else in the world told her he was telling the truth.

"She knew."

Angela shook her head. "I don't know. She told me the reason she left was because she messed up on that Dawson case. If she thought you were being unfaithful she never told anyone."

"Damn it! After that whole blow up months ago we had about that miscarriage thing I thought we were solid again."

"You have to tell her."

"I don't know where she is."

"I do."

_Chapter 22 – First Night Home_

The first day they took Adam home from the hospital Booth drove as slowly as he could. Grandmothers passed him by as Booth weaved the streets of Washington D.C. Adam had stayed a little less than a month in hospital and by the time he was ready to be discharged, Booth and Brennan couldn't wait to get him home.

Adam was still small but the doctor assured the worried parents that there was no permanent effects from his prematurity and that he would grow and catch up soon enough.

That night Brennan fed little Adam, then rocked him to sleep in her arms. She held the little baby close to her heart. She still felt guilty about his early arrival. Never did she think she could be so attached to one human being. Sure she loved Booth, she was certain of that fact now but being a mother made her experience emotions she thought she never would. It has hurt terribly to worry about Adam, she still was worried for him, but having him asleep in her arms more than made up for everything.

As she rocked Adam the thought struck that she was responsible for this little person in her arms. He was dependant on her for his everything. She was his everything. The memory of her parents leaving her caused a stab of pain in her heart.

"I'm never going to leave you Adam," she whispered.

The baby continued sleeping and Brennan blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall on her son's face.

"Hey."

Brennan jumped,

"I didn't hear you come in."

Booth smiled. "Kinda missed you in bed."

"What time is it?"

"Oh a little past one."

Booth knelt down next to the rocker on which his wife was sitting. He ran a hand over the baby's head. "He's pretty amazing huh?"

Brennan beamed. "Yes he is. And given my superior intellect I'm quite certain he's going to be of above average intelligence."

Booth laughed. "Yeah I think so too. Although it'll be great if he became a football or hockey star."

Brennan stifled a yawn.

"You must be tired. He's gonna wake up hungry soon. You should try to get some sleep."

Brennan got up from the rocker, then set the baby in his cot. She felt Booth snake an arm round her waist. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"Thanks Bones."

"What for?"

"For this. You, Adam, this is what I've always wanted."

"Guess maybe your parent would be happy with you now huh?"

"Nah, I don't think anything I do would ever measure up to Jared. But I don't really care anymore."

They stared in silence at their sleeping son. Brennan broke the silence.

"I guess maybe this is what I've always wanted too."

Booth pulled her into his embrace. "Let's get some sleep ok Mummy?"

He led her back to their bedroom and promptly fell asleep with her in his arms. But Brennan couldn't sleep. Her thoughts were still with Adam. Was he sleeping well? It was his first night home, without nurses and monitors to make sure he was ok.

Brennan slipped out of Booth's arms. She went into her son's room. The baby was so still she thought for one terrifying moment something bad had happened. She placed her hand gently on Adam's chest, feeling the rise and fall below her palm. She smiled to herself. She was enjoying this motherhood thing already.

_**I had originally intended to focus more on the past than present BB. But this story seemed to have a life of its own and ideas for present BB popped up so they're now the main focus of this story. Although I'll still write on past (younger) BB and the family they built together. **_

_**Don't forget to drop me a review on your way out.**_


End file.
